US state of Florida declares hurricane emergency

Shortly after Sally reached hurricane strength, the governor of the southern US state of Florida, Ron DeSantis, declared a state of emergency for the Panhandle’s two westernmost counties.

DeSantis issued an executive order Monday evening directing state resources to help with response, recovery and mitigation efforts in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Federal assistance can also be sought for the areas.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines call for non-congregate sheltering, where evacuees can continue to practice social distancing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The emergency order authorizes the activation of sheltering agreements with area hotels.-AP