DeSantis declares storm state of emergency in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco

Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 41 Florida counties Monday afternoon as a potentially major storm loomed south of the Gulf of Mexico.

Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough were included in the governor’s order, which puts local governments on alert ahead of the arrival of Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine — which may soon become a named storm, Helene. That system was projected to drift north-northeast and hit somewhere on Florida’s west coast by the end of the week.

“Forecast models indicate that this system will have a vast areal extent, and its impact will likely extend well beyond its center,” the executive order read.

DeSantis’ emergency order, among other things, activated the Florida National Guard and allowed the state’s top transportation official to waive road tolls ahead of potential county evacuations. It also allowed for emergency vehicles and Federal Emergency Management Agency resources to enter the state.

The order applied to Alachua, Bay, Bradford, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Monroe, Okaloosa, Pasco, Pinellas, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Wakulla, Walton and Washington counties.