The declaration was for Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton and Washington counties.
DeSantis’ order, in part, directed Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie to coordinate the state’s approach to the storm and any recovery operations.
The National Hurricane Center said the wave, called Invest 97L, caused showers and thunderstorms over Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and the Southeastern Bahamas on Thursday afternoon.
Development of the system is expected to be slow while it moves over parts of the Greater Antilles.
But the hurricane center said conditions are conducive for the storm to develop into a tropical depression after clearing the Greater Antilles and move into the eastern Gulf of Mexico this weekend or early next week.
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