Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a State of Emergency in 41 Florida counties ahead of a potential hurricane strike. Watch video about the storm forecast above. Neighborhood reporter, Kenya Cardonne, is talking with neighbors in Southeast Tallahassee about storm prep. Watch her reel embedded below. The counties included are listed below: Alachua Bay Bradford Calhoun Charlotte Citrus Collier Columbia Dixie Escambia Franklin Gadsden Gilchrist Gulf Hamilton Hernando Hillsborough Holmes Jackson Jefferson Lafayette Lee Leon Levy Liberty Madison Manatee Marion Monroe Okaloosa Pasco Pinellas Santa Rosa Sarasota Sumter Suwannee Taylor Union Wakulla Walton WashingtonThe governor made the declaration because of the system currently known as Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine. The governor wrote "conditions are forecast to organize and develop Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine into a tropical depression or tropical storm during the next day or two over the northwestern Caribbean Sea and southeastern Gulf of Mexico, where further development and strengthening is expected." An emergency declaration helps state agencies prepare for storm response. You can read the entire declaration here.