Florida News That Impacts You – September 24th, 2024
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- Governor DeSantis has preemptively declared a State of Emergency for 41 of Florida’s 67 counties in advance of an expected hurricane landfall Thursday night on Florida’s Gulf Coast. No counties on Florida’s east coast are among them.
- Lt. Governor Jeanette Nunez announced the start of Florida’s Swimming Lesson Voucher Program. The new program, approved by the legislature, enables parents of children 4 or younger to obtain no cost vouchers for swimming lessons by certified instructors. Research has shown that swimming lessons by young children can reduce the risk of drowning by up to 88%. Interested families may visit WaterSmartFL.com.
- Approximately 250 ballots have been resent to overseas voters from the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections office after discovering that Kamala Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, had his name listed as “Tom” Walz. Ballots voted with the incorrect first name will be tabulated without issue.
- It’ll be hot and mostly sunny today with showers possible throughout the day and highs in the upper 80’s. Temperatures will be about 4 degrees warmer than usual for this date. A Coastal Flood Advisory remains in effect during high tide. The National Hurricane Center is tracking two systems. Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine is expected to develop into a tropical storm today before developing into a hurricane on the approach to Florida’s Big Bend Thursday evening. The first advisory, a tropical storm watch, has been posted for Southwest Florida and the Lower Keys. Current intensity forecasting has the hurricane as a category 3 with top winds of 115 mph at landfall. A disturbance is developing off the coast of Africa and is also likely to develop as it makes its way towards the mid-Atlantic.
- Gas prices fell three cents per gallon on Monday. The average price for regular unleaded in Florida is currently $3.10 per gallon. In Palm Beach County the average price is $3.27 per gallon, in Martin the average is $3.10 and in Indian River County the average is $3.04 per gallon.