Alachua County will open a special-needs shelter on Wednesday at noon and two pet-friendly general population shelters at 4 p.m.

The district will assess storm damage after Helene has passed and notify families over the weekend if there will be any impact on the reopening of schools on Monday, ACPS Communications Director Jackie Johnson wrote in an email.

Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 41 Florida counties, including Alachua, ahead of the storm.

According to Jen Grice, director of emergency management for Alachua County, rainfall is anticipated to begin Wednesday night, and the county is expected to receive four to six inches of rain by Friday night.

The storm, which is expected to strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane, is expected to make landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida Thursday.

Okeechobee County is giving the community updates after it was placed under a tropical storm watch by the National Weather Service (NWS).

In preparation for Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine, Alachua County staff will distribute sandbags (10 bags per vehicle). After staffed hours, sand, bags, and shovels will be available for self-service.

The county can expect increased rainfall, possible tornadoes, localized wind gusts and hazardous boating conditions as the system passes through the Gulf of Mexico over the coming days.