Florida watched Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastate communities two years ago.
Now another Gulf storm is tracking toward the Panhandle.
What DeSantis just did before a single rain band reached Florida is something most governors wait until it's too late to do.
The Emergency Was Signed Before the Storm Existed
Tropical Storm Isaias organized Wednesday morning and is expected to strengthen into a hurricane before hitting the northern Gulf Coast late Friday or this weekend.
DeSantis signed the state of emergency Tuesday.
The storm wasn't named until Wednesday.
That sequence separates Florida from every state that will spend the next 72 hours scrambling to catch up.
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/2107826884369416577?s=20
The 25-county declaration covers the entire Florida Panhandle and Big Bend region: Baker, Bay, Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Suwannee, Taylor, Walton, Wakulla and Washington counties.
"This order will allow the Florida Division of Emergency Management to stage critical preparedness resources and ensure Florida is ready to respond," DeSantis said.
State Emergency Response Team crews are already moving supplies into position in Tallahassee and Santa Rosa – generators, fuel, flood barriers, boxed water pallets, shelf-stable meals, flood buckets, tarps and sandbags.
That gear was on the ground before the hurricane watch even went up.
NOAA Is Warning of Life-Threatening Surge Along the Gulf
Federal forecasters are warning of deadly storm surge, hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall across the impact zone.
Peak storm surge could hit 5 to 7 feet from Indian Pass through Alabama into Mississippi.
From Indian Pass east to the Aucilla River, surge is projected at 3 to 5 feet.
A hurricane watch is in effect stretching from Indian Pass, Florida, all the way to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
Isaias is moving fast.
A fast-moving storm gives residents less time to evacuate and gives emergency managers less time to react once the track locks in.
Florida's approach – stage first, respond second – is the only way to beat that clock.
Florida Immediately Locked Down Price Gouging
Attorney General James Uthmeier activated Florida's price gouging reporting hotline the moment DeSantis signed the emergency declaration.
That's not a coincidence – it's the system working exactly as designed.
Florida's price gouging law has been on the books since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/2107623580582453329?s=20
Essential commodities covered include food, water, ice, gas, lodging, lumber and services like tree removal, water remediation and roof repair – everything people actually need when a storm hits their neighborhood.
"If you see or suspect an unconscionable increase in the price of essential commodities, report it to our office," Uthmeier said.
The hotline is 1-866-9NO-SCAM.
Florida has run this system through Debby, Helene, Milton and Idalia – the infrastructure is battle-tested and it works.
This Is What Leadership Before a Disaster Looks Like
DeSantis said before this hurricane season started: "Just know, in Florida, our preparations and our immediate response always assumed FEMA wouldn't be there for us."
That is a governor who watched the federal government fail other states and decided Florida was going to be different.
While Washington spent weeks finger-pointing after Helene devastated western North Carolina, DeSantis was signing emergency orders for a storm that didn't even have a name yet.
Florida has also invested $8.2 million in a state-of-the-art emergency response technology platform – the Division of Emergency Management Enterprise Solution – built specifically to speed up operations when disaster strikes.
That same machine is running right now for Isaias.
If you are in one of the 25 affected counties, visit FloridaDisaster.org and follow @FLSERT on X for live updates.
Get your disaster supply kit stocked now.
Keep your fuel tank at least half full.
Secure loose outdoor items.
Florida is ready.
Sources:
- Merrilee Gasser, "DeSantis declares emergency in 25 counties ahead of Isaias," The Center Square, October 8, 2026.
- Florida Division of Emergency Management, "Governor DeSantis encourages preparation for 2026 hurricane season," Florida Division of Emergency Management, June 3, 2026.
- Florida Attorney General's Office, "How to Protect Yourself: Price-Gouging After a Hurricane," MyFloridaLegal.com, 2026.
- Florida Division of Emergency Management, "Florida Division of Emergency Management Highlights Governor Ron DeSantis' Commitment to Emergency Preparedness," FloridaDisaster.org, February 4, 2025.
