Florida Declares State of Emergency: Impact on Miami Residents and Affected Counties

On Tuesday, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Executive Order 26-202, officially declaring a state of emergency in 25 counties across northern Florida and the Panhandle due to the threat posed by what was then Tropical Depression Nine, now upgraded to Tropical Storm Isaias. This declaration has left many South Florida residents wondering: Does this affect us?

The simple answer is no. Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties are not included in the current order.

The state of emergency applies exclusively to these counties: 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, all located in the northern and northwestern parts of the state.

Specific Measures in the Affected Areas

For those residing in the designated 25 counties, the order enacts three specific protections.

The first measure is a restriction on price gouging as outlined in Section 501.160 of the Florida Statutes. Price gouging is assumed when the cost of a product or service significantly exceeds the average price of the previous 30 days, unless the seller can prove a genuine increase in costs. Residents can report excessive pricing to the Florida Attorney General’s hotline at 1-866-966-7226.

The second protection is an emergency refill of up to 30 days for maintenance medications, in accordance with Section 465.0275 of the Florida Statutes. This provision is available to residents of the affected counties, emergency personnel activated by state or local agencies, and hospitals with institutional pharmacies in covered counties, which are permitted to prescribe and dispense medications for up to 72 hours.

The third measure provides a waiver on certain Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) processes, suspending document renewal requirements and replacement fees within the declared area.

None of these protections are automatically extended to residents of Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach counties under the current order.

Potential Changes in the Storm's Path

Governor DeSantis holds the authority to expand the declaration through an amended executive order. This was previously done during Hurricane Milton in October 2024, when the number of affected counties increased from 35 to 51 in less than a day. If Tropical Storm Isaias shifts its path southward or changes course unexpectedly, an amendment could be issued to include central or southern Florida counties.

As of now, the National Hurricane Center forecasts that the system will make landfall along the northern Gulf Coast — between southeastern Louisiana and the Panhandle — on Friday or Saturday.

Autonomy of Non-Included Counties

Section 11 of EO 26-202 is particularly relevant for South Florida: it affirms that counties not covered by the state declaration have the authority to independently implement urgent measures, including evacuation orders, without waiting for a state-level extension.

The governor urged all Floridians to use this time to prepare: "Floridians should take advantage of this moment to set emergency plans and ensure their hurricane supply kits are complete."

Those with family in northern Florida or plans to travel to the area in the coming days should closely monitor updates from the National Hurricane Center and follow local authority instructions in the declared counties, where state teams have already deployed generators, flood barriers, bottled water, food, and sandbags to Tallahassee and the Santa Rosa area.