Governor expands emergency declaration statewide as Tropical Storm Ian strengthens

Director of Communications, Taryn Fenske, informed local Historic City News reporters that yesterday, Governor Ron DeSantis issued a new Executive Order, expanding the limited state of emergency declared Friday for several counties in Florida’s Peninsula and the Florida Keys.

Tropical Storm Ian is forecasted to become a major hurricane before making landfall along Florida’s West Coast.  As of 8:00 a.m. EDT on Saturday, September 24, 2022, Tropical Storm Ian was located approximately 855 miles southwest of Key West, Florida.  Executive Order 22-219 (amending Executive Order 22-218) broadens the declaration that a State of Emergency exists statewide.

“At approximately 11:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, September 23, 2022, Tropical Depression Nine strengthened into Tropical Storm Ian, with maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour,” Fenske reported.  “The threat posed by Tropical Storm Ian requires timely precautions to protect Florida’s communities, infrastructure, and general welfare.”

Working together with the National Hurricane Center to weather predictions, the Florida Division of Emergency Management has determined there is a continuing risk of dangerous storm surges, heavy rainfall, flash flooding, strong winds, hazardous seas, and isolated tornadic activity for Florida’s Peninsula and portions of the Florida Big Bend, North Florida, and Northeast Florida.

A copy of Executive order 22-219 can be found at this link.