Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 35 Florida counties ahead of the Tropical Storm Milton's potential landfall.
"As Tropical Storm Milton continues to strengthen in the Gulf, I have issued EO 24-214 ahead of potential landfall on Florida's west coast this week," DeSantis tweeted Saturday. "This EO declares a state of emergency in 35 Florida counties. As many continue to recover from Hurricane Helene, I have directed @FLSERT and @MyFDOT to coordinate all available personnel and resources to supplement local communities as they expedite debris removal in impacted areas.
"We will continue staging state assets to prepare for efficient search and rescue, power restoration, and roadway clearing."
Milton's storm system was brewing in the Gulf of Mexico, strengthening into a tropical storm Saturday, and forecasters warned that it could intensify into a hurricane and slam into the west coast of Florida next week.
Tropical Storm Milton was about 220 miles north-northeast of Veracruz, Mexico, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said in an afternoon advisory. It had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was heading toward the north-northeast at 3 mph.
Since many of those counties are still recovering from Hurricane Helene, DeSantis asked the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Transportation to coordinate all available resources and personnel to supplement local communities as they expedite debris removal.
Though no coastal watches or warnings were in effect, the hurricane center said the Florida Peninsula, the Florida Keys, Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and the northwestern Bahamas should monitor the system's progress.
The storm is forecast to strengthen and bring the risk of life-threatening impacts to parts of Florida, with hurricane and storm-surge watches likely in effect from Sunday. Parts of the state are expected to have heavy rainfall beginning that day, threatening flash, urban, and areal flooding, along with some river flooding.
"There is an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and wind impacts for portions of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula beginning late Tuesday or Wednesday. Residents in these areas should ensure they have their hurricane plan in place, follow any advice given by local officials, and check back for updates to the forecast," the center said.
Looking further east, Leslie has strengthened into a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean but is not threatening land, forecasters said.
The storm was located Saturday about 725 miles west-southwest of the southernmost Cabo Verde Islands and had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Kirk remained a Category 4 major hurricane, and waves from the system were affecting the Leeward Islands, Bermuda, and the Greater Antilles, forecasters said. The storm’s swells were expected to spread to the East Coast of the United States, the Atlantic Coast of Canada and the Bahamas on Saturday night and Sunday.
Forecasters warned the waves could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Kirk was expected to weaken starting Saturday, the center said.
Though there were no coastal warnings or watches in effect for Kirk, the center said those in the Azores, where swells could hit Monday, should monitor the storm’s progress.
Kirk was about 975 miles (1,570 kilometers) east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (209 kph).
The storms churned as rescuers in the U.S. Southeast searched for people unaccounted for after Hurricane Helene struck last week, leaving behind a trail of death and catastrophic damage.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.