Florida is getting ready for Tropical Storm Idalia which is expected to hit the Sunshine State on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.
Over the weekend, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 33 of Florida’s 67 counties.
“I signed an executive order issuing a state of emergency out of an abundance of caution to ensure that the Florida Division of Emergency Management can begin staging resources and Floridians have plenty of time to prepare their families for a storm next week,” said DeSantis. “I encourage Floridians to have a plan in place and ensure that their hurricane supply kit is stocked.”
The order covered Alachua, Bay, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Sumter, Suwanee, Taylor and Wakulla Counties.
The Florida National Guard mobilized 1,100 personnel while the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) activated the State Emergency Operations Center Team.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the activation of Florida’s Price Gouging Hotline which “applies to items and services essential for use during the storm, including getting ready for or recovering from a storm, within the areas of a declared state of emergency.”
“I have activated our Price Gouging Hotline to take complaints about extreme price increases on commodities needed to prepare for a potential storm strike. Please make preparation now, pay attention to weather updates and report price gouging to my office by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM, visiting MyFloridaLegal.com, or downloading our app—No Scam,” said Moody.
On Monday, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., met with emergency management officials and law enforcement leaders in Sarasota and Ft. Myers and received briefings on the storm.
Scott spoke to National Hurricane Center Director Dr. Mike Brennan last week and called on Floridians to get ready if the storm heads their way.
“Now is the time to make a plan and be prepared. Floridians understand just how quickly storms can develop and intensify. We saw it with Hurricane Michael, which went from a tropical storm to a Category 5 monster in less than three days. Do not put your family in danger by waiting to get ready. Remember, we can rebuild a house, but we cannot rebuild a life. I’ll be continuously monitoring this system and urge all Floridians to do the same. Florida has the best law enforcement and emergency managers in the world so please listen to them and be ready for severe weather,” Scott said at the end of last week.
