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.

What does it mean when the governor of a state declares a state of emergency? When it's a storm like the soon-to-be-Helene, things start moving fast.

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Governor Ron DeSantis declared a State of Emergency on Monday morning. The declaration comes while the Gulf Coast of Florida prepares for a potential hurricane.