About 19 hours before landfall, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a tropical storm warning from Apalachicola to Venice, Florida, which was preceded by a tropical storm watch six hours prior.
As the storm intensified further, the NHC issued a hurricane warning from Apalachicola to Anclote Key, and extended the tropical storm warning westward to Fort Walton Beach.
The agency later issued a tropical storm warning for the Atlantic coast from Cape Canaveral to Little River Inlet in South Carolina.
Officials ordered evacuations for barrier islands in nine Florida counties along the gulf coast, and about 3,000 people stayed in shelters.
Government offices closed along the storm's projected path in the state.
Later, the storm forced the cancellation of part of Bob Dole's bus tour through New York, and postponed a search for the wreck of TWA Flight 800.
Game one of the 1996 World Series was postponed by one day due to the storm.

While Josephine was forming, it produced high tides of 3 to 4 ft (0.91 to 1.22 m) above normal that flooded coastal regions and eroded beaches along the Texas coast.
Coastal flooding covered portions of Texas State Highway 316 and John F. Kennedy Memorial Causeway.
The storm's outer periphery dropped locally heavy rainfall that reached 10.81 in (275 mm) at Brownsville International Airport, which flooded homes in Brownsville and streets near San Benito.
Light rainfall also occurred elsewhere along the gulf coast.
In Louisiana, tides were 4 ft (1.2 m) above normal, which flooded portions of Louisiana Highway 1 and several houses.
The floods damaged two houses in Mandeville, and damage statewide was estimated at $5.5 million.
After residents refused to evacuate Grand Isle, over 200 people were stranded when floodwaters rose.

Josephine made landfall in northwestern Florida along Apalachee Bay and produced a high storm surge of around 9.3 ft (2.8 m) in Suwannee, causing minor to moderate beach erosion.
The storm produced widespread tropical storm force wind gusts in the state, and the highest sustained winds were 45 mph (72 km/h) along the Sunshine Skyway Bridge; the same location reported a peak gust of 72 mph (115 km/h).
Josephine dropped heavy rainfall in the state, peaking at 11.39 in (289 mm) in Fernandina Beach.
The storm also spawned at least 16 tornadoes in northern Florida, most of which caused minor tree damage.
One 400 yd (370 m) wide tornado, rated an F2, remained on the ground for 7 mi (11 km) in Edgewater, which damaged 130 houses, 30 of them severely.
The tornado caused a woman to have a heart attack in Edgewater, and its damage was estimated at $2.4 million.
In western Florida, the high tides flooded roads and buildings along the coast.
Between Levy to Lee county along the gulf coast, Josephine flooded about 3,600 homes, mostly west of U.S. Route 19.
The heaviest storm surge damage was in Pinellas County, where about 1,400 homes were affected, causing $25 million in damage.
One person was injured in the county when a man was surfing in rough seas.
The high tides damaged three fishing piers along the west coast.
In Clay County, flooding rains forced about a dozen families to seek shelter elsewhere, and a few roads were washed out.
In Jacksonville, high rains flooded hundreds of roads and caused schools countywide to close.
Street flooding occurred as far south as the Florida Keys.
High winds caused sporadic wind damage across northern Florida, and about 400,000 people lost power statewide.
Following the storm, President Bill Clinton declared 16 counties as disaster areas, which made them eligible for federal assistance in reconstructing.

When the remnants of Josephine moved into Georgia, rainfall of over 7 in (180 mm) flooded portions of Georgia State Route 40 and destroyed six houses along the St. Marys River.
A woman died after driving into a downed tree in the state.
In South Carolina, the storm caused flash flooding that covered roads and cars, after 6 in (150 mm) of precipitation fell.
Wind gusts in the state reached 60 mph (97 km/h) along the coast, while high tides caused minor
About 19 hours before landfall, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a tropical storm warning from Apalachicola to Venice, Florida, which was preceded by a tropical storm watch six hours prior. As the storm intensified further, the NHC issued a hurricane warning from Apalachicola to Anclote Key, and extended the tropical storm warning westward to Fort Walton Beach. The agency later issued a tropical storm warning for the Atlantic coast from Cape Canaveral to Little River Inlet in South Carolina. Officials ordered evacuations for barrier islands in nine Florida counties along the gulf coast, and about 3,000 people stayed in shelters. Government offices closed along the storm's projected path in the state. Later, the storm forced the cancellation of part of Bob Dole's bus tour through New York, and postponed a search for the wreck of TWA Flight 800. Game one of the 1996 World Series was postponed by one day due to the storm.
While Josephine was forming, it produced high tides of 3 to 4 ft (0.91 to 1.22 m) above normal that flooded coastal regions and eroded beaches along the Texas coast. Coastal flooding covered portions of Texas State Highway 316 and John F. Kennedy Memorial Causeway. The storm's outer periphery dropped locally heavy rainfall that reached 10.81 in (275 mm) at Brownsville International Airport, which flooded homes in Brownsville and streets near San Benito. Light rainfall also occurred elsewhere along the gulf coast. In Louisiana, tides were 4 ft (1.2 m) above normal, which flooded portions of Louisiana Highway 1 and several houses. The floods damaged two houses in Mandeville, and damage statewide was estimated at $5.5 million. After residents refused to evacuate Grand Isle, over 200 people were stranded when floodwaters rose.
Josephine made landfall in northwestern Florida along Apalachee Bay and produced a high storm surge of around 9.3 ft (2.8 m) in Suwannee, causing minor to moderate beach erosion. The storm produced widespread tropical storm force wind gusts in the state, and the highest sustained winds were 45 mph (72 km/h) along the Sunshine Skyway Bridge; the same location reported a peak gust of 72 mph (115 km/h). Josephine dropped heavy rainfall in the state, peaking at 11.39 in (289 mm) in Fernandina Beach. The storm also spawned at least 16 tornadoes in northern Florida, most of which caused minor tree damage. One 400 yd (370 m) wide tornado, rated an F2, remained on the ground for 7 mi (11 km) in Edgewater, which damaged 130 houses, 30 of them severely. The tornado caused a woman to have a heart attack in Edgewater, and its damage was estimated at $2.4 million. In western Florida, the high tides flooded roads and buildings along the coast. Between Levy to Lee county along the gulf coast, Josephine flooded about 3,600 homes, mostly west of U.S. Route 19. The heaviest storm surge damage was in Pinellas County, where about 1,400 homes were affected, causing $25 million in damage. One person was injured in the county when a man was surfing in rough seas. The high tides damaged three fishing piers along the west coast. In Clay County, flooding rains forced about a dozen families to seek shelter elsewhere, and a few roads were washed out. In Jacksonville, high rains flooded hundreds of roads and caused schools countywide to close. Street flooding occurred as far south as the Florida Keys. High winds caused sporadic wind damage across northern Florida, and about 400,000 people lost power statewide. Following the storm, President Bill Clinton declared 16 counties as disaster areas, which made them eligible for federal assistance in reconstructing.
When the remnants of Josephine moved into Georgia, rainfall of over 7 in (180 mm) flooded portions of Georgia State Route 40 and destroyed six houses along the St. Marys River. A woman died after driving into a downed tree in the state. In South Carolina, the storm caused flash flooding that covered roads and cars, after 6 in (150 mm) of precipitation fell. Wind gusts in the state reached 60 mph (97 km/h) along the coast, while high tides caused minor 
Tropical Storm Josephine (1996)