JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 54 counties in anticipation of soon-to-be Hurricane Milton making landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast this coming week.
The National Hurricane Center issued its first advisory for Milton Saturday morning. It strengthened into a tropical storm by 2 p.m.
At Category 5 strength Wednesday, Milton is projected to strengthen into a major Category 3 hurricane before Florida landfall.
DeSantis declared a state of emergency for the following counties in the Sunshine State: 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 and Volusia counties.
The center of the cone targets the Tampa Bay area, but the cone extends as far north as Perry and as far south as the Everglades. Remember, the cone shows anywhere the center of the hurricane could go.
For the First Coast, the primary concern will be a nor’easter forming ahead of and during the storm. This will bring several days of strong onshore winds, heightening the risks of dangerous surf, rip currents and tidal flooding in low-lying areas during high tides.