provided by Visit Florida

VISIT FLORIDA continues to monitor Hurricane Idalia and is in constant contact with the State Emergency Operations Center.
 

On the forecast track, the center of Hurricane Idalia is forecast to move over the eastern Gulf of Mexico later, reach the Gulf Coast of Florida within the Hurricane Warning area on Wednesday, and move near the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas on Thursday. Maximum sustained winds have increased to 85 mph, making Idalia a Category 1 hurricane. Rapid intensification is likely through landfall, and Idalia is forecast to become an extremely dangerous major hurricane before landfall on Wednesday.

Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 23-175, expanding the number of counties under a state of emergency in preparation for Hurricane Idalia from 46 counties to 49 counties. Counties now included in the executive order are: 
 

Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Nassau, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, and Wakulla counties.

To read the full executive order, click here. 

Current Evacuation Orders

FDEM has launched the State Assistance Information Line (SAIL), a toll-free hotline activated at the time of an emergency to provide an additional resource for those in Florida to receive accurate and up-to-date information regarding an emergency or disaster situation impacting the State of Florida. Residents can call the SAIL hotline at 1-800-342-3557.

VISIT FLORIDA has taken the following actions in response to Hurricane Idalia:

• VISIT FLORIDA is featuring travel safety information on our consumer-facing website, VISITFLORIDA.com, to provide weather alerts and official resources to assist visitors with making the most informed travel planning decisions possible. This page links to sources such as the National Hurricane Center, FloridaDisaster.org, Florida 511, and others.
• The VISIT FLORIDA and Expedia Emergency Accommodations Module has been launched to provide real-time information on hotel accommodations. 
• VISIT FLORIDA's current marketing efforts have been paused.
• VISIT FLORIDA's three Official Florida Welcome Centers, located at major access points into and out of the state, are prepared to answer any consumer questions on Hurricane Idalia. 
• VISIT FLORIDA staff is supporting the State Emergency Operations Center. 
• VISIT FLORIDA will continue to monitor the storm and will be sure to share any further pertinent information with you via email as the situation unfolds. 

ESF-18

The State Emergency Operations Center is activated in preparation for this event and ESF 18 will be staffed full time until the storm has passed. The team is available to respond to any questions, concerns or unmet needs of the business community. To reach them, call the Private Sector Hotline at 850-815-4925 or email esf18@em.myflorida.com.  

Live Map of Open and Closed Businesses

Private Sector Coordination Call:

The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) is hosting a daily private sector coordination call from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time, beginning Monday, August 28, 2023.  Briefings will be provided by SERT meteorology, fuels, communications, transportation, and energy, as well as private sector Partners such as the Florida Retail Federation, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, and VISIT FLORIDA.  Call-in information is provided below:

Phone number: 888-585-9008
Participant Code: 753 329 128

Useful Links:
VISIT FLORIDA encourages its Industry Partners to refer to the resources below for the most up to date safety information and emergency directives for a storm: 

• FloridaDisaster.org for the latest on the state’s response actions
• FloridaDisaster.biz for emergency resources for businesses
• The National Hurricane Center for current weather alerts and forecast information
• The Executive Office of the Governor for the latest state executive orders
• Follow FLSERT on Twitter for real time updates from the State’s Emergency Response Team
• Florida 511 for the latest on traffic conditions
• Alert Florida to signup for emergency alerts and other public safety notifications in your community