The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, declared a state of emergency in 25 counties on Tuesday due to the threat of Tropical Depression Nine, which formed in the southwest Gulf of Mexico and has the potential to turn into a hurricane by the end of the week.
The measure was established through the Executive Order 26-202 and will allow for the early mobilization of emergency resources in response to potential impacts in the northern and northwestern regions of the state.
"I signed an Executive Order declaring a state of emergency in response to the potential impacts of Tropical Depression 9. This order will allow the Florida Division of Emergency Management to position critical preparedness resources and ensure that Florida is ready to respond," stated DeSantis.
The governor also urged residents to take advantage of the coming hours to review their emergency plans and stock up on hurricane supplies.
"Floridians should take this time to establish emergency plans and ensure their hurricane supply kits are complete," he noted.
It could become a hurricane on Thursday
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) anticipates a sustained strengthening: the system could become a tropical storm during the early hours of Wednesday —when it would be named Isaias— and reach hurricane category by Thursday.
The projected path would take it to the north of the Yucatán Peninsula on Thursday and then towards the northern coast of the Gulf of the United States, which it could approach on Friday. The NHC urged residents of that region to closely monitor the system's evolution, as there is still uncertainty regarding its path and final intensity.
Florida mobilizes resources
The Florida State Emergency Response Team (SERT) began mobilizing resources that will be strategically positioned in Tallahassee and the Santa Rosa area to enable rapid deployment if necessary.
Among the prepared supplies are generators, fuel, flood barriers, drinking water, non-perishable food, tarps, and sandbags.
The governor's office warned that the potential effects could extend far beyond the area where the center of the cyclone eventually makes landfall, with heavy rainfall, strong winds, coastal flooding, and isolated tornadoes in northern Florida.
Authorities are also monitoring the risk of flooding due to recent rains that have already saturated the soil in some areas.
The 25 counties included in the declaration are Baker, Bay, Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Suwannee, Taylor, Walton, Wakulla, and Washington.
The NHC initially indicated that there were no active watches or warnings, but advised those on the northern Gulf coast to closely monitor the upcoming bulletins.
The situation had already been monitored in Florida before the formation of the depression, when meteorological authorities warned about the potential development of the system in the Gulf.
Regarding Cuba, the INSMET indicated that Tropical Depression Nine does not pose a direct threat to the Island, although it will continue to monitor its progression as it moves through the Gulf.
The Atlantic hurricane season officially remains active until November 30, 2026.
Filed under: