Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 25 counties on Wednesday. Tropical Storm Isaias tracked through the Gulf of Mexico, and forecasters warned the system could rapidly strengthen into a hurricane before approaching the northern U.S. Gulf Coast.
The system formed in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico early Wednesday from Tropical Depression Nine. It packed maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and moved east-northeast at 8 mph. According to the National Hurricane Center, Isaias is projected to intensify into a hurricane by Thursday. It could reach strong Category 2 strength with winds up to 110 mph prior to landfall late Friday or early Saturday.
Governor DeSantis Issues Executive Order
To prepare for potential impacts, Governor DeSantis signed Executive Order 26-202, placing 25 northern counties under a state of emergency. The declaration speeds the movement of emergency supplies and personnel ahead of the storm’s arrival, focusing heavily on the Florida Panhandle and the Big Bend region.
“Today, I signed an Executive Order issuing a state of emergency ahead of potential impacts from Tropical Depression 9,” DeSantis said in a release. “This order will allow the Florida Division of Emergency Management to stage critical preparedness resources and ensure Florida is ready to respond. Floridians should take this time to get disaster plans in place and ensure their hurricane supply kit is stocked.”
Affected Counties Under Emergency Declaration
The state of emergency covers a broad swathe of northern Florida. The 25 counties included in the executive order are:
- Baker County
- Bay County
- Calhoun County
- Columbia County
- Dixie County
- Escambia County
- Franklin County
- Gadsden County
- Gilchrist County
- Gulf County
- Hamilton County
- Holmes County
- Jackson County
- Jefferson County
- Lafayette County
- Leon County
- Liberty County
- Madison County
- Okaloosa County
- Santa Rosa County
- Suwannee County
- Taylor County
- Walton County
- Wakulla County
- Washington County
Emergency Mobilization and Staging Resources
Following the emergency declaration, the state emergency response team began pre-positioning vital supplies. Generators, fuel, flood barriers, bottled drinking water, nonperishable food items, tarps, and sandbags are being actively sent to staging hubs in Tallahassee (Leon County) and Santa Rosa County.
Meteorologists indicate that the primary threat zone stretches from eastern Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle. This puts areas near Biloxi, Mississippi, and Panama City, Florida, directly in the projected path. In addition to wind and storm surge hazards, forecasters warn that Isaias will bring heavy rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches, with localized amounts up to 10 inches. This will trigger potential flash flood risks across the Southeast and the Appalachian region through the weekend.
Residents living within the potential impact zones are urged by emergency officials to closely monitor ongoing weather advisories and review their personalized household disaster plans.
