Florida's State Emergency Operations Center was activated Thursday in anticipation of potential impacts from Tropical Storm Erika.

The storm led Gov. Rick Scott to cancel part of his summer vacation in Colorado. By Thursday morning, he was meeting with top officials at the EOC.

The activation status stood at Level 2 as of Thursday evening, signaling that, while the storm is still churning in the Caribbean, emergency crews should begin preparing to respond to mass power outages, safety concerns and health complications.

"We've been very fortunate for a long time, and we've got to get prepared," Scott said during a press conference in Tallahassee.

It's been nearly a decade since Florida has been hit by a hurricane - so long, in fact, that the governor and his staff have never had to lead emergency efforts for one

There was some confusion Thursday about where Scott would hold his televised storm briefings. His staff decided to shift the briefings from the familiar EOC press room used by Scott's predecessors to a cramped courtyard outside the building.

If the governor's office seemed out of its element Thursday, it was hardly alone: since 2005, two million people have moved to Florida. Many of the new residents aren't versed in the basics of preparing for a storm, which emergency management officials say should include keeping at least three days' worth of food and water on hand.

For Bryan Koon, Florida's Director of Emergency Management, educating a rusty public is a top priority as Erika moves westward.

"Our regional coordinators are out throughout the state in those county emergency operations centers interacting directly with their county emergency management counterparts," Koon said. "I've communicated with our folks at FEMA. We've got FEMA representatives and DHS representatives here in the EOC, so all levels of government are engaged at this point and will continue to as this storm progresses."

Erika's latest track moves north of Puerto Rico and into the Bahamas by Sunday. If this holds true, favorable conditions may intensify Erika into a hurricane.

The models and updates are leaning more toward taking Erika east of Florida, but the storm's impact may still be felt, particularly on the Atlantic Coast, on Monday and Tuesday.

Scott said the Florida National Guard has 8,000 members who can be mobilized to handle the effects of Erika, should it affect Florida. Currently, he said they are making sure their equipment is ready.

He also said the state has been in contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and neighboring states.

Scott also said state officials have been in contact with local emergency management and law enforcement agencies, and that they are not asking for anything right now.

"We don't have any unmet needs for any of our local emergency management teams, local law enforcement," he said. "Nobody in the counties are asking for anything right now."

The State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee was partially activated Wednesday to monitor the progress of Erika.

Scott said Floridians should consider themselves the first line of defense against possible effects from Erika.

"Just think about your family for a second," he said. "We all love our children, our grandchildren, our parents. Think about what’s going to happen in a storm.  We’re going to hope for the best, prepare for the worst, but get ready."

Scott emphasized that Floridians should know where their local shelters are and should be prepared with food and water in case the storm strikes. He also said Floridians should stay informed by listening to local news and local officials.

"Hopefully this will continue to be just a drill," he said. "We will continue not having a hurricane, but we live in a peninsula and these things can grow rapidly."