Today, Governor Ron DeSantis, Major General John D. Haas of the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), and Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Purdue provided updates on preparedness efforts ahead of Hurricane Helene at the State Emergency Operations Center. As of 8:00 am ET, Hurricane Helene has intensified to a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph and higher gusts. The hurricane is expected to strengthen further and reach the Florida Big Bend coast tonight as a major hurricane.
Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order 24-209 on September 24, updating EO 24-208 and declaring a state of emergency for 61 counties. This allows state officials to allocate critical resources to communities in anticipation of storm impacts.
Following a request from Governor DeSantis, FEMA approved the state's pre-landfall disaster declaration request, providing federal resources such as personnel, equipment, supplies, and funding for emergency protective measures for the 41 counties included in Executive Order 24-208.
Evacuation orders are in effect across multiple counties. Residents under mandatory evacuation orders are urged to comply. Details can be found at FloridaDisaster.org/EvacuationOrders.
Residents needing assistance with shelters can call (800) 729-3413 or the State Assistance Information Line (SAIL) at (800) 342-3557 for help in English, Spanish, and Haitian-Creole.
Current watches and warnings include:
Hurricane Warning: Western Alachua, coastal Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, coastal Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison; western Marion; coastal Pasco; Suwannee; Taylor; Wakulla counties
Hurricane Watch: Inland Citrus; inland Hernando; coastal Hillsborough; coastal Manatee; inland Pasco; Pinellas; coastal Sarasota
Tropical Storm Warning: Central and eastern Alachua; Baker; Bay; Bradford; Brevard; Broward; Calhoun; Charlotte; inland Citrus; Clay; Collier;
DeSoto Duval Flagler Glades Hardee Hendry Highlands inland Hernando Hillsborough Holmes Indian River Jackson Lake Lee Miami-Dade Monroe (including Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas) Manatee central and eastern Marion Martin Nassau Okeechobee Orange Osceola Palm Beach inland Pasco Pinellas Polk Putnam Sarasota Seminole St. Johns St. Lucie Sumter Union Volusia Walton Washington
Storm Surge Warning: Charlotte Citrus Collier Dixie Franklin Gulf Hernando Hillsborough Jefferson Lee Levy Manatee Monroe Pasco Pinellas Sarasota Taylor Wakulla counties
The FDEM activated the State Emergency Operations Center to Level 1 on Tuesday to coordinate response efforts involving over 1,150 missions statewide. Resources include shelf-stable meals staged near impact areas and urban search-and-rescue task forces ready for deployment.
The Florida National Guard has mobilized nearly 3,500 Soldiers and Airmen with potential surge capacity up to 5.500 if needed. They are prepared for logistics support law enforcement route clearance search-and-rescue commodity distribution flood mitigation aviation support among other needs.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has positioned assets including aircraft portable towers for emergency communications reconnaissance damage assessments Telecommunication Emergency Response Taskforces continuity service for the system criminal history queries suitability shelter staff vulnerable populations children elderly disabled
Nearly team members work directly storm response FDOT encourages drivers download app visit closures detours follow direction local law enforcement emergency personnel issued lifting weight restrictions allowing vehicles bypass weigh stations preparedness expanded service hours impact areas pieces heavy equipment used preparations inspectors UAV drone deployment large pumps generators assist signal power trailers staged
Seaports Key West Panama City St Joe Tampa Bay SeaPort Manatee Pete Fernandina JAXPORT Canaveral closed waterside Airports flight cancellations delays check airlines specific updates suspended Tallahassee International Tampa Pete-Clearwater Railroads Amtrak Silver Star Meteor routes York Miami terminate Jacksonville originate SunRail service suspended Freight CSX limit operations area Gulf Atlantic shut down except Pensacola Apalachicola Northern BayLine First Coast made schedule modifications Suspended Lakeland Area Mass Transit Connection County Breeze Transit Lee Tran Charlotte Jacksonville Authority Skyway Ferry Sunshine Line Bayway StarMetro Big Bend Wakulla Jackson JTrans Calhoun Liberty ARC suspending LYNX Marion Shuttle HART Bus
Florida Department Veterans’ Affairs VISN Clinical Contact Center operational virtual tele-emergency care support enrolled Health Care call visit information Management Services identify sites special needs pet-friendly evacuees east Lake City west Panama City Health Human Services Agency Persons Disabilities tracking APD-licensed group homes impacted areas ensure client safety provide guidance re-entry appropriate Department deploying vehicles staging currently Leon Osceola prepared operations begin path press release sent statewide additional information find shelter near county page initiated Patient Movement Mission transport evacuations facilities Surgeon General signed waives competitive procurement requirements procure commodities goods services expeditiously permits medical transportation services operate across lines Paramedics Technicians Directors licensed states territories districts practice without penalty reporting extension Prescription Drug Monitoring Program licensure renewal deadlines Nursing Home Administrators Radiological Personnel Athletic Trainers October Office Insurance Regulation early prescription refills permitted public insurers managed organizations pharmacy benefit chains providers activated reporting Facility System requested report census available beds status generator transfer patients necessary adequate power calls preparation landfall facilities evacuating assisted living nursing hospitals residential treatment centers adolescents adult family intermediate developmentally disabled operating long-term generator Generator Map Medicaid services notice Infrastructure Roads Closures Highway Patrol assisting Corrections evacuation facilities removing abandoned disabled left roadways arrival cut teams clearing post-storm aid impacted Children Families working Community-Based Lead Agencies contact foster families providers ensure preparation unmet addressed contacted licensed potentially plans place Elder Affairs partners receive ongoing gather Education districts colleges provide immediately Currently announced closures Universities Environmental Protection issued activation debris management store process solid waste webpage visitors camping cabin reservations status Resources Employees Businesses Consumers Business Professional Regulation partnered Restaurant Lodging encourage establishments relax policies waive fees evacuees anti-price gouging accommodations proactively communicated licensees preparation food safety Disaster Contractors Network connect homeowners contractors suppliers perform repairs register online Commerce private sector hotline open daily Inquiries emailed business updated CurrentDisasterUpdates VISIT FLORIDA Accommodation Modules Expedia Priceline real-time availability lodging Sandestin Golf crafted offers Evacuees Responders need accommodations evacuation Rosen Hotels Resorts activated Resident Distress Rates initiative safe affordable place stay ride more CareerSource openings Comcast opened public Xfinity WiFi hotspots non-customers Walmart partners needed supplies passed Publix pallets water shelters CVS prepare pop-up pharmacies UBER free rides $35 way state-approved promo code HELENERELIEF contacted United States Postal Service election vote-by-mail ballots Supervisors discuss plan ballot mailing delivery return Agriculture Consumer Services ports fuel industry ensure adequate supplies agricultural producers resources Forest Service staged high-water vehicles Commissioner Wilton Simpson approved intrastate movement animal transportation waived interstate import pets horses livestock leaving Alabama Georgia Mississippi North Carolina South Carolina Revenue issued Taxing Authority Millage Budget Hearings assist altering plans annual hearings bulletin instructions taxing Fish Wildlife Conservation Commission deploy officers specialized equipment airboats shallow draft ATVs capable four-wheel drive aerial surveillance drones swamp buggies trailers BERG self-sustainment container units Hygiene Mobile command Generators Water trailer Fuel Corrections evacuated satellite major relocated inmates hardened housing visitation suspended posting publicly real-time weather-updates Juvenile Justice finalized fueling moving low-lying flood-prone higher ground testing ensuring adequate fuel generators loss power ensuring food medicine stocked ready previous updates Follow X Instagram Facebook relating ###