Jen Grice, the county's director of emergency management, said rainfall is likely to begin Wednesday night with 4 to 6 inches expected through Friday.

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

The Gainesville area could see tropical storm force winds as early as Wednesday night as Potential Tropical Cyclone 9 heads to Florida, according to the National Weather Service.

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

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.

Tropical Storm Helene is expected to quickly move northward once it enters the Gulf of Mexico and then gain hurricane strength tomorrow. Neighbors should prepare themselves, their families, and their property as this storm is expected to bring strong winds and rain to our area.

As Tropical Storm Helene works its way toward Florida, here's what people in Highlands County need to know. Highlands County Evacuations: No evacuations have been