This comes as pets have often been left behind as residents evacuate during high impact storms, leaving organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States, coordinating relocation and rescue efforts.

After Helene’s devastating path, animals have been moved to facilities in Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and D.C., where they are up for adoption.

The Humane Society of the United States, in a news release on Monday, said they are on the ground in Florida and Tennessee assisting multiple communities with animal needs in the aftermath of deadly Hurricane Helene.

Meanwhile, as Milton nears Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on Saturday for 35 counties.

DeSantis wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that he had directed Florida’s Division of Emergency Management and Department of Transportation to coordinate all available personnel and resources to help with debris removal.

“We will continue staging state assets to prepare for efficient search and rescue, power restoration, and roadway clearing.”

In an update on Sunday, De Santis issued Executive Order 24-215, amending a previous order and declared a state of emergency for 51 counties.

As of Sunday, Florida Division of Emergency Management has activated the State Emergency Operations Center to Level 1 for Tropical Storm Milton and are leading coordination efforts for the State Emergency Response Team.

DeSantis said Sunday that while Milton’s path is uncertain, it’s clear that Florida is going to be hit hard — “I don’t think there’s any scenario where we don’t have major impacts at this point.”

“You have time to prepare — all day today, all day Monday, probably all day Tuesday to be sure your hurricane preparedness plan is in place,” the governor said. “If you’re on that west coast of Florida, barrier islands, just assume you’ll be asked to leave.”