Which areas should be evacuated and how in Florida in the face of Hurricane Helene?

() – Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for parts of at least 15 Florida counties, and eight additional counties have issued voluntary evacuation orders, as Helene approaches the state and threatens to become a hurricane as early as Wednesday, according to the Florida Department of Health. Florida Division of Emergency Management.

“You’ve seen evacuations on some of the barrier islands on the west coast of Florida, some of the counties, like Wakulla and Franklin, have issued broader evacuation orders,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Wednesday morning.

“We expect a direct hit somewhere in the northern part of Florida, most likely in the Tallahassee region. But it could also turn east and end up closer to the heart of the Big Bend (in the northwest of the state), where we already saw Debby, and where we saw Hurricane Idalia.”

The governor urged residents in evacuation zones planned by local counties to seek higher ground. “You don’t have to get in your car and drive 350 miles. You can safely evacuate to higher ground — there are shelters, there are hotels, there are friends’ houses, there are family members’ houses — all of that is fine,” DeSantis said.

These are the counties with partial mandatory evacuation orders as of Wednesday at 10 a.m. Miami time:

These are the counties with partial voluntary evacuation orders as of Wednesday at 10 a.m. Miami time: