Governor Ron DeSantis Declares State of Emergency, Urges Floridians to Prepare for Tropical Storm Elsa


TALLAHASSEE, Fla.
 — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 21-150 declaring a state of emergency for 15 counties in the potential path of Tropical Storm Elsa. The Governor is urging Floridians in the southern part of the state to begin preparing for impacts as early as Monday, including heavy rain, flooding and potential storm surge.
By declaring a state of emergency, Governor DeSantis is ensuring that state and local governments have ample time, resources and flexibility to prepare. The State Emergency Operations Center activated to a Level 2 this morning, enhancing the coordination between federal, state and local emergency management agencies. “This morning, I signed an Executive Order issuing a State of Emergency due to the threat of Tropical Storm Elsa,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “While we continue to provide resources to support the response at Surfside, impacts from Elsa will begin affecting the Florida Keys and portions of southern Florida as early as Monday. All Floridians in the potential path of this storm need to prepare for the risk of isolated tornadoes, storm surge, heavy rainfall and flash flooding.” 
Full remarks on the state response and current status of Tropical Storm Elsa were delivered by Governer DeSantis at a press conference this evening. Watch here
The severity and track of Tropical Storm Elsa remains uncertain. Due to this uncertainty, Governor DeSantis issued the State of Emergency for the following 15 counties:
o Charlotte;
o Citrus;
o Collier;
o DeSoto;
o Hardee;
o Hernando;
o Hillsborough;
o Lee;o Levy;
o Manatee;
o Miami-Dade;
o Monroe;
o Pasco;
o Pinellas; and
o Sarasota Counties.  
CONTACTS
Follow @FLSERT and @GovRonDeSantis on Twitter for live updates 
Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org to find information on emergency preparedness. 
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