FL Declares Emergency in 25 Counties as Gulf Depression Could Become Season's First Hurricane, Residents Warned

Florida declared an emergency in 25 counties as Tropical Depression Nine threatens heavy rain, strong winds and coastal flooding along the Gulf Coast (Credit: Florida Weather Center/Facebook)

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 25 counties on Tuesday, urging residents to prepare as Tropical Depression Nine was forecast to become the Atlantic season's first hurricane.

The National Hurricane Center confirmed that the system in the western Gulf had developed a closed circulation, becoming a tropical depression. Forecasts indicate it could reach the coast between Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle late Friday or early Saturday, with effects extending beyond where it comes ashore.