Federal Emergency Declared, Evacuations Underway In Florida Ahead Of Helene

Evacuations are underway and the White House approved a federal emergency declaration for Florida ahead of Helene.

"Now, you still have time to prepare, review your hurricane plan, and make sure that you are executing your hurricane preparedness plan," Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a Tuesday news briefing.

W​hile the storm is expected to make landfall somewhere in the Florida Panhandle or along the northern Gulf Coast, impacts could stretch much farther. Residents in the potential path are being told to prepare to be without power for up to a week.

"Make sure your entire family knows that disaster plan and what they should do," Kevin Guthrie, the state's emergency management director, said at the briefing. "Make sure you include your pets, make sure you include any senior citizens in your family."

(​MORE: Hurricane Tracker Maps | Latest Forecast)

W​here Power Outages Are Most Likely

A​uthorities have warned Florida residents to prepare for power outages lasting up to a week. Several utility providers are preparing for the arrival of the storm. Provider FPL says they have pre-positioned resources and staff to respond in the event that outages do occur. Florida Public Utilities Company and Florida City Gas, which have service areas even outside the state of Florida, have made a similar statement. North and central Florida are expected to see the most widespread outages, though utility issues are possible across much of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and parts of neighboring states.

H​ow Florida State Government Is Preparing

I​n a news release, state officials referenced some 500 missions underway by the State Emergency Response Team to help counties prepare ahead of the storm. These missions include prestaging resources, adding protection for critical infrastructure facilities like hospitals and coordinating response personnel across the state. The Florida State Guard has prepared a number of resources including 10 shallow water rescue teams, 2 amphibious rescue vehicles 7 search and rescue teams and a number of other vehicles and personnel. Sixty seven counties are engaging in twice daily calls with the government to stay on top of the latest developments.

S​tate Of Emergency In Georgia

I​t's not just Florida that's bracing for Helene. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm's expected impacts there.

G​eorgia could see high winds and heavy rainfall as Helene tracks inland, bringing the potential for dangerous flooding and widespread power outages.

T​he governor's message to residents: "Stay vigilant and stay safe."

W​hite House Approves Federal Emergency Declaration

P​resident Joe Biden approved a federal emergency declaration for Florida Tuesday, paving the way for federal aid and disaster assistance.

Two major weather-related disasters have already been declared in the state this year. The first was for severe weather in May and the second was for Debby in August.

N​ASA, SpaceX Rocket Launch Delayed

NASA and SpaceX planned to launch two astronauts from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Station to the International Space Station Thursday afternoon. The launch is now delayed until at least Saturday.

The mission, named Crew 9, would normally have had four people on board. But two seats are being left empty for the return next year of astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, stranded at the ISS after their Boeing Starliner capsule had technical issues and was sent back to Earth without them.

The space force station is adjacent to Kennedy Space Center on Florida’s Atlantic Coast. While the area isn’t in the direct path of the storm, the forecast as of Tuesday afternoon showed winds there could be gusting over 39 mph during Thursday afternoon's launch window.

"In fact, for that eastern coast of Florida, that time frame may be the closest approach and the worst weather from Helene,” weather.com on-camera meteorologist Robb Ellis said.

Airlines Issuing Travel Alerts And Advisories

Some airlines are issuing travel alerts and advisories and allowing customers to rebook this week’s travel plans. Travelers planning to fly to affected destinations such as Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Cuba or Mexico with United Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest or Frontier, should check their airline’s website for details on their options to reschedule.

(​MORE: What Happens At Disney During A Hurricane | Travel Destinations To Avoid Hurricanes On Your Vacation)

T​ampa Bay Area County Evacuates Nursing Homes

P​inellas County ordered a mandatory evacuation of long-term healthcare facilities, including nursing homes, assisted living centers and hospitals in zone A. The county sits on a peninsula surrounded by Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

C​edar Key Residents Aren't Taking Helene Lightly

Some r​esidents and business owners in storm-battered Cedar Key, Florida, are packing up ahead of the storm.

T​he area took a hard hit from Hurricane Idalia last year and was bruised again by Debby this year. Both brought high storm surge that flooded homes and businesses.

Aimee Firestine was loading furniture from the Faraway Inn into a U-haul Tuesday.

One unit of the inn was completely destroyed by Idalia.

“We’re all a little nervous, all a little worried, all trying to make sure we did a little more than we did last time, hoping we can save a little more than we did last time,” Firestine told Live Storms Media.

Blood Donations Requested

OneBlood is asking for blood donations ahead of Helene’s arrival. All blood types are needed, but particular emphasis was placed on the need for O Negative and O Positive blood as well as platelet donations.

“Hurricanes and tropical systems can disrupt blood collections. The most critical time for blood donations is prior to the storm in order to ensure a ready blood supply during and immediately after the event,” said Susan Forbes, OneBlood’s senior vice president of corporate communications and public relations in a press release.

Donors can visit a donor center by visiting the OneBlood website.

S​chool Closures Announced

M​ore than half of all Florida school districts are closing for at least one day, some for longer, due to Helene.

T​he full list of school closures also includes: Baker, Bay, Bradford, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Franklin, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lake, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Pasco, Putnam, Sarasota, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Wakulla, Walton and Washington counties.

F​lorida State University in Tallahassee will close from Wednesday through Sunday. Florida A&M University, also in Tallahassee, is closing Tuesday through Friday and rescheduled this weekend's homecoming football game against Alabama A&M. The game will now be played on Nov. 29.

Evacuation Orders Issued In Florida

Mandatory evacuations as of Tuesday evening included:

-Manatee County, for zone A, including Anna Maria Island and other waterfront or low-lying areas as well as those living in mobile homes or manufactured housing.

-​Citrus County, mandatory evacuation for zone A, which includes coastal areas in the communities of Crystal River and Homosassa, about 75 miles north of Tampa.

-​Wakulla County, mandatory evacuation for all residents and visitors in the county, located on the coast directly south of Tallahassee.

-​Sarasota County, mandatory evacuation starting at 7 a.m. Wednesday for everyone in zone A, including the barrier islands of Siesta Key, Longboat Key and Lido Key, as well as manufactured homes.

-​Hernando County, on the north side of the Tampa Bay area, mandatory evacuations for residents in several areas including anyone west of U.S. Highway 19, all residents in coastal or low-lying areas and those living in manufactured homes.

-​Gulf County, on the coast southwest of Tallahassee, mandatory evacuations for all non-residents and all recreational vehicles in Indian Pass, Cape San Blas and Simmons Bayou.

-C​harlotte County in Southwest Florida, mandatory evacuations for barrier islands, low-lying and flood prone areas, manufactured homes, and homes that don’t meet building codes set in 1995.

-F​ranklin County, mandatory evacuation for barrier islands, low-lying and flood-prone areas, mobile homes and recreational vehicles. The county is located on the coast south of Tallahassee and includes the communities of St. George Island, Dog Island, Bald Point and Alligator Point.

(​MORE: How To Find Your Hurricane Evacuation Zone In Florida)

W​hat Florida Counties Are Under A State Of Emergency?

The state of emergency covers the majority of Florida's 67 counties, including the Panhandle, the Tampa Bay area and along the state's West Coast and many inland and East Coast counties, too. The original declaration was issued Monday for 41 counties. DeSantis said at a news conference Tuesday that it was broadened to include 61.

T​he only counties not included are Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade.

W​hen Is The Hurricane Supposed To Hit Florida?

Helene is developing on a path that will take it over a patch of the Gulf of Mexico with record heat content right now, which could fuel at least a Category 3 hurricane before landfall, according to weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman.

“But what’s arguably just as important for most of the impacts is that it’s going to be a large hurricane and it’s going to move quickly,” Erdman said.

That means winds capable of tree damage and power outages will cover a larger area, including well into Georgia and parts of the western Carolinas.

This larger size also means a danger of life-threatening storm surge, particularly along Florida's Big Bend and Nature Coast.

"Even if someone can 'weather the storm,' they may not have power or clean water to drink," weather.com senior meteorologist Dina Knightly said. "Precautions need to begin now. Know your evacuation zones and where to go if told to leave. Have supplies and any documents ready to go at a moment's notice. Don't forget to plan for your pets as well. Don't leave them behind."

L​andfall is likely to happen Thursday.

(​MORE: Hurricane Prep For People WIth Special Medical Needs)

W​hat Travelers Should Know

T​wo Cayman Island airports are closed ahead of the storm's arrival: Charles Kirkconnell International Airport and Owen Roberts International Airport. The airports' reopening dates have not yet been specified.

Cruise ship arrivals at Quintana Roo, Mexico, ports are canceled for September 24 and 25.

The storm is coming as many schools across the southeastern U.S. and in other parts of the country are on fall break, a popular time for some to travel to the Florida Panhandle.

“Anyone in the region, including areas along Florida Highway 30A and U.S. Highway 98, need to be aware that tropical storm conditions will likely begin early Thursday,” Knightly said. “You need to stay alert to state and county officials if ordered to evacuate”

Even if the storm’s expected path changes, there will still be impacts in the Panhandle, including rain, high surf and the potential for dangerous rip currents.

“Watch for beach flags indicating the beach is either closed or there is a rip current risk,” Knightly said.

R​enee Straker, Tim Harris and Nicole Bonaccorso contributed to this report.

Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.