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Towards the end of September, Hurricane Helene came crashing through Florida. The Sunshine State is no stranger to storms and bad weather. Though Helene truly did some damage that Floridians are still recovering from in real time.

Today, cleanup efforts continue as residents try to rebuild after heavy winds and extreme flooding caused significant property damage. Some folks lost their homes and businesses altogether, leaving them forced to file insurance claims and seek help from FEMA.

State officials have been volunteering with cleanup efforts and getting critical supplies to folks in need. Though as Floridians work to bounce back from Helene's destruction, yet another storm could be quickly heading their way.

What to know about Tropical Storm Milton

Right now, Milton has not turned into a hurricane; yet, this could change by the time it touches down in Florida on Tuesday. As things currently stand, Milton remains a tropical storm with strengthening winds as it makes its way via the Gulf of Mexico.

Amid reports of Milton potentially becoming a Category 3 Hurricane, Florida is urging residents to get prepared now. This means implementing the following precautions:

• Putting sandbags by doors to prevent flooding
• Securing loose items on porches and yards
• Stocking up on non-perishable food items
• Checking batteries on power banks and flashlights
• Staying up to date on evacuation zones

Florida officials taking early action

Over the weekend, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 35 counties, each expected to suffer impacts from Milton.

DeSantis also announced that both the Florida Department of Transportation and Florida Division of Emergency Management have been ordered to streamline debris removal that still lingers from Helene.

Regarding Milton, Florida is most at risk of the following:

• Five to eight inches of rainfall
• Land and river flooding
• Storm surges and power outages

The presence of Milton alone will naturally delay ongoing work to rebuild from Helene. If the storm does turn into a hurricane that hits Florida with intensity, the state's recovery efforts could be potentially prolonged by several weeks.

At this time, both local and state governments are keeping residents informed with new updates as they become available.