Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for much of the state, excluding South Florida, ahead of a disturbance that might strengthen into a tropical depression. Forecasters are warning to expect heavy rains and floods even if the storm fails to form into a depression.
DeSantis signed an executive order that focuses on preparing resources for a possible “major disaster” in 54 of the state’s 67 counties in North, Central and Southwest Florida. All South Florida counties, with the exception of Monroe County, are not under the emergency order.
“As Governor of Florida, I am responsible to meet the dangers presented to the State of Florida and its people by this emergency,” the order reads.
The state of emergency was triggered because of a tropical wave, identified as Invest 97L, being tracked by the National Hurricane Center.
READ MORE: South Florida’s rain chances rise as messy tropical wave moves toward the state
Forecasters said the wave is producing a large area of showers and thunderstorms over Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the southeastern Bahamas and the adjacent waters of the southwestern Atlantic and northeastern Caribbean Sea.
It has the potential of developing into a tropical depression this weekend over the eastern Gulf of Mexico near Florida as environmental conditions become friendlier for storm formation, the hurricane center said.
As of Thursday night, the hurricane center gave the wave a 40% shot of forming into a depression in the next two days and a 70% shot during the next week.
The region is also in store for heavy rains that could cause severe flooding, partly because of the tropical wave.
In the emergency order, DeSantis said some regions of Florida might see at least 12 inches of rain in the next seven days, resulting in “flash flooding, river flooding, coastal flooding, erosion and gusty winds.”
The severe weather could damage “critical infrastructure,” such as highways, bridges, airports, schools, hospitals and power grids, the order said.
