TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Saturday afternoon that he declared a state of emergency in Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe, and 32 other counties in Florida.
DeSantis’s executive order follows the National Hurricane Center’s forecast that Tropical Storm Milton will strengthen into a major hurricane, land in western Florida, and cross the state to the Atlantic.
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The order DeSantis signed on Saturday has a subsection directing all state, regional, and local governmental agencies to “allow Floridians to return to their properties when it is reasonably safe to do so” after the storm.
The order also directs that debris management sites and landfills in all counties impacted by Hurricane Helene remain open.
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“As many continue to recover from Hurricane Helene, I have directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Transportation to coordinate all available personnel and resources to supplement local communities as they expedite debris removal in impacted areas,” DeSantis wrote in a statement.
DeSantis also reported state teams are preparing for “efficient search and rescue, power restoration, and roadway clearing” after Milton passes through.
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