DeSantis Declares Emergency in 33 Florida Counties as Storm System Gathers Steam

Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, on Aug. 12, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in 33 counties in preparation for the potential impact of a weather system that the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warns is becoming better organized and could become a tropical storm with dangerous consequences.

The weather system—an area of low pressure dubbed Invest 93L—that is located in the northwestern Caribbean Sea and eastern Gulf of Mexico near Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula continued to become better organized on Saturday.

“The disturbance near the Yucatan is becoming better organized. Heavy rains are likely over portions of W Cuba and Yucatan Peninsula,” NHC said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Aug. 26.

“Interest in these areas & Florida need to stay up to date with the latest at hurricanes.gov Have your hurricane plan in place,” NHC added.

‘Time to Prepare for the Storm’

While the weather system has not yet become organized enough to be given a name, Mr. DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in 33 counties and put emergency management services on alert.

“I’ve signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency for 33 counties in preparation for Invest 93L. Issuing this order today ensures communities have time to prepare for the storm system which could have impacts along the Gulf Coast next week,” Mr. DeSantis said in a post on X.

There’s currently a 90 percent chance that the weather disturbance becomes a cyclone within the next 48 hours, per NHC.

Earlier, Mr. DeSantis directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management to get ready for Invest 93L to strengthen into a tropical storm.

“I’ve directed @KevinGuthrieFL & the FL Emergency Management team to prepare for a potential tropical system currently moving across the Yucatán Peninsula,” Mr. DeSantis posted.

“Residents should remain vigilant and prepare for possible impacts early next week,” he added.

While the NHC expects Invest 93L to develop slowly over the weekend, early models suggest it could make landfall in Florida at some point between Tuesday and Thursday.

“The storm activity continues to gradually become better organized. If this trend continues, advisories will be initiated on this system later today,” NHC said in an Atlantic tropical weather outlook on the morning of Aug. 26.

“The system is expected to move very slowly northward into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico during the next couple of days,” NHC said in the outlook. “The chance of development is high over the next 48 hours.”

Rick Knabb, a hurricane expert at the Weather Channel, said in a post on X that Invest 93L has the potential to strengthen into a number of dangerous weather systems.

“Especially this time of year, just about anything is possible intensity wise for a system forming near Yucatán and heading north into Gulf. Be ready to react quickly this weekend into early next week as #93L intensifies,” Mr. Knabb said.

“Even a tropical storm can generate significant storm surge,” he added.

Tropical Storm Franklin Becomes Hurricane

Elsewhere, Tropical Storm Franklin has strengthened into a hurricane and could threaten the U.S. East Coast next week, per NHC.

Hurricane Franklin was located around 620 miles south of Bermuda, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, according to an advisory issued by NHC at 11 a.m. ET on Aug. 26.

Franklin was moving north-northwest at around 7 mph, with the hurricane expected to drift across the western Atlantic through early next week, while gathering strength.

“Steady strengthening is forecast, and Franklin could become a major hurricane early next week,” NHC forecasters wrote in the latest 11 a.m. advisory.

Swells generated by the hurricane are expected to begin impacting Bermuda on Sunday night before threatening parts of the U.S. eastern seaboard.

“These swells are also likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions late this weekend into early next week along portions of the east coast of the United States,” the NHC forecasters noted.

While Hurricane Franklin isn’t expected to make landfall in the United States, NHC warned that the weather conditions produced by the weather system could still be deadly.