President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency in Florida ahead of Hurricane Michael's anticipated landfall on Wednesday.
Trump is ordering the federal government to help state and local authorities deal with the 110-mph storm.
Tuesday's order authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to begin coordinating disaster relief efforts.
The president's directive specifically calls for the federal government to back up local emergency crews in the 35 counties where Florida Gov. Rick Scott had already declared a state-level emergency.
Those counties include areas like Hillsborough and Pinellas -- near Tampa Bay -- as well as higher-risk counties that are further north and more directly in the path of the storm.
“We know that a storm like Michael can be devastating and deadly," Scott said on Monday.
Trump doubled down on the governor's words, tweeting that it was "imperative" that Floridians listen to state and local officials and take precautions as the storm approaches.
"Good news is, the folks in the Pan Handle (sic) can take care of anything," the president tweeted. "@FEMA and First Responders are ready - be prepared!"
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