DeSantis declares state of emergency ahead of Fred
LAKE MARY, Fla. - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis late Friday issued a state of emergency 23 Florida counties – mostly in the Panhandle – ahead of the arrival of Tropical Depression Fred.
Up to 10 inches of rain could fall in areas from the Florida Keys to the Big Bend over the next few days as a tropical storm warning and watch have been issued for parts of the state in anticipation of Fred.
With the center of Fred about 175 miles southeast of Key West Friday evening, the National Hurricane Center said the storm is expected to be near the Keys on Saturday and near the west coast of the Florida peninsula Saturday night and Sunday.
A tropical storm warning has been issued for the Keys, from west of Ocean Reef to the Dry Tortugas, and for Florida Bay. A tropical storm watch has been issued for the state’s Southwest coast up to Englewood on the border of Charlotte and Sarasota counties.
The National Hurricane Center projected three to seven inches of rain across the Keys and in South and Central Florida, north toward the Big Bend. It said "isolated" maximum totals could reach 10 inches.
The system isn’t forecast to reach hurricane strength by the time it reaches Northwest Florida, but flooding and tornado risks are possible beginning Saturday afternoon over parts of Central and South Florida.
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