Governor Ron DeSantis has issued Executive Order 24-215, amending a previous order related to Tropical Storm Milton. This new directive expands the state of emergency to include 51 counties in Florida as the storm approaches.
The original Executive Order 24-214 was declared on October 5, covering 35 counties due to threats posed by Tropical Storm Milton. However, with the storm's intensification and potential development into a major hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico, further action was deemed necessary.
The governor stated that "Tropical Storm Milton continues to strengthen" and could become a "catastrophic major hurricane upon landfall along the Florida West Coast." The forecast predicts dangerous conditions such as life-threatening storm surges and severe wind gusts affecting the Gulf Coast region.
DeSantis emphasized his responsibility to address these dangers, noting that an amendment is essential for ongoing recovery efforts and support for those impacted by this natural disaster. The amended executive order includes additional counties under the state of emergency declaration: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando Highlands Hillsborough Indian River Lafayette Lake Lee Levy Madison Manatee Marion Martin Miami-Dade Monroe Nassau Okeechobee Orange Osceola Palm Beach Pasco Pinellas Polk Putnam Sarasota Seminole St. Johns St. Lucie Sumter Suwanee Taylor Union Volusia.
This order takes immediate effect and will remain active until Executive Order 24-214 expires.