TALLAHASSEE - Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday expanded a declared state of emergency to 61 of the state's 67 counties with only some counties in Southeast Florida excluded as Tropical Storm Helene heads toward Florida and is expected to rapidly grow into a powerful hurricane Wednesday in the Gulf of Mexico.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that the executive order for a state of emergency now spans 61 counties, including Central Florida.

Ron DeSantis held a press conference at the State Emergency Operations Center Tuesday morning in Tallahassee. This comes after the governor declared a state of emergency for 41 of Florida's 67 counties Monday due to a storm system that is expected to grow into a powerful hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico.