TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – As Tropical Storm Laura continues to move west, Governor Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency in counties in the storm’s path.
In addition to issuing a state of emergency, Gov. DeSantis sent a letter to President Donald Trump requesting the nation’s commander in chief to declare a pre-landfall emergency for Florida. Gov. DeSantis’ request for the pre-landfall emergency includes the following Tampa Bay counties: Hillsborough, Pinellas, Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Manatee, Pasco and Sarasota.
Below is the letter sent to President Trump:
Sandbags are available for Tampa Bay families as we all brace for tropical developments. You can click here for more information on where and when you can fill out free bags of sand.
Laura is expected to reach Puerto Rico Saturday morning and is expected to deliver up to six inches of rain through Sunday. Chief Meteorologist Denis Phillips has previously described Laura’s system s “ragged” and “disorganized” so we are still unsure as of Friday night of how much the named storm will impact the Tampa Bay area next week.
As of Friday night, Laura remains a tropical storm and is packing 45 mph winds, according to the National Weather Service.
