A.G. Gancarski
Last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis made news for urging Floridians to “knock on wood” amid problems in the property insurance market as hurricane season loomed. This year, he’s dropping that language and keeping a focus on preparation.
“Florida Preparedness Week is the perfect time to sit down with your family and ensure you have a customized plan for your household,” DeSantis urged in a press release from the Division of Emergency Management (DEM).
“It only takes one storm to impact an entire community, so I encourage all residents to know their risks, make an evacuation plan and have all essential supplies needed to stay safe before June 1.”
DEM head Kevin Guthrie echoed the central message, urging Floridians to “take this hurricane preparedness week as your call to action and finalize your preparations for the season ahead.”
“After the devastating impacts from the past two hurricane seasons, I implore all residents to prepare for not only hurricanes, but the various hazards that come with them such as tornadoes, storm surge, damaging winds, rip currents and flooding,” Guthrie said.
The Governor has offered interesting hurricane takes throughout his political career, including suggesting earlier this year that President George W. Bush took disproportionate blame for his handling of Hurricane Katrina in his second term, a fumble by the former President that soured much of the public on the remainder of his second term.
He also made light of minor hurricanes, saying that Floridians aren’t even fazed until eyewall winds are over 110 mph in a stop during his failed presidential campaign.
“But on the hurricanes it’s kind of like, you know, if it’s like a Category 1, people say, ‘All right, you know, we’ll have a picnic or something,’” he said in Iowa.
“Category 2, well, we just go on our way,” DeSantis continued. “Category 3, well, you know, maybe they’ll make a slight adjustment. Then only if it’s above, then people really start to worry about it because you kind of live and you learn.”
In 2022, as he ran for re-election, the Governor faced questions about his office’s inability to figure out where the center of Hurricane Ian would make landfall. He claimed then that the “national regime media” wanted the storm to hit Tampa to exact maximum destruction.
This year, the DEM press release offered a less pessimistic take on the impending storm season than Colorado State University, whose prognosticators are forecasting that 2024 could be the most active season yet in the Atlantic Basin with 23 named storms during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 to Nov. 30, with 11 hurricanes developing and five projected to be at least a Category 3 at some point in their life cycle.
“On average, there are 14 named tropical storms each year in the Atlantic basin, seven of which strengthen into hurricanes with three becoming Category 3 or higher. However, the Division stresses the importance of not focusing on the projected number of storms for the 2024 season as it only takes one storm to produce long-lasting impacts. Understanding risks and early preparation measures are keys to mitigate hurricane-related impacts, but also serve as the keys to quicker recovery and statewide resiliency,” DEM notes.
The press release offers helpful hints, including keeping gas tanks full and batteries charged.
“Residents should keep their vehicles’ gas tanks at least half full during hurricane season to ensure they have enough fuel to evacuate as soon as possible without worrying about long lines at gas stations and to avoid gas shortages prior to a storm. For Floridians with electric vehicles, it’s recommended that the battery be maintained between 50%-80% capacity at all times, depending on the type of vehicle and what the vehicle’s manual recommends.”
13 comments
Dont Say FLA
May 6, 2024 at 12:22 pm
“Having an evacuation plan and all essential supplies” sounds awfully Woke.
That’s nothing but placebo, just like mask wearing and social distancing were for the Covid scare.
Dee might as well pray the hurricanes away again this year. That worked before, so it’ll work again…
…unless Jesus hates Rhonda now for whatever innumerable reasons I can’t even begin to fathom /s
Richard D
May 6, 2024 at 12:56 pm
EVs require electric power to charge the battery. Hurricane-caused power outages can last for days or even weeks, which could leave an EV stranded.
PeterH
May 6, 2024 at 2:04 pm
Gasoline stations are dependent on electricity to pump gasoline!
Helene Martin
May 7, 2024 at 2:28 pm
Most have generators now
Dont Say FLA
May 7, 2024 at 7:12 am
EV owners: Before evacuation, just get a couple 5 gallon fuel jugs and fill them with electricity. You can do this at home with your own charging station that you already have.
You can’t see electricity, but rest assured your jugs are filled when the charging station indicates charging has stopped. Put the top on each jug after charging, being careful not to spill any electrons.
Put the jugs of electricity in the trunk and take them with you so you can get past the EV stations that can’t charge because the electricity is out.
When your EV indicates low battery, simply refill the car battery with the electrons stored in the fuel jug by pouring into the EV car’s plug hole.
One Caveat
May 7, 2024 at 7:19 am
I don’t know if this is true, but I have seen information that only Tesla EVs can be refilled this way.
Other, non-Tesla EVs lack the intelligence to properly store the electrons when they’re just poured in from a jug rather than being delivered to the car in the correct polarity and precise rate expected by the car.
Tesla has an effective “dual control” module that verifies and corrects incoming electrons to prevent damage to your car from a bad charging station. Lesser EVs do not have this and just have big ole fuse instead which, in the even of bad charging, the fuse blows to protect the car.
FWIW. HTH.
Your friend, Dont Say FLA
Cheesy Floridian
May 6, 2024 at 5:01 pm
His best advice was to “knock on wood” so lets stick with that. Lets also hope that he makes appearances in those white rain boots.My home insurance has still not gone down.Things just keep looking better and better
Josh Green
May 6, 2024 at 11:39 pm
Knock on wood?
Better paint some lambs blood over the door too just to be safe.
Don T. Bleefet
May 7, 2024 at 4:29 am
“The Governor who once said Cat 3’s don’t faze Floridians offers a more traditional message now that he’s not running for President.”
“. . . running for president”? A.G, you couldn’t be straining for effect any harder if you were trying to fart a bowling ball.
Dont Say FLA
May 7, 2024 at 7:14 am
Great point. AG should have wrote “to use the phrase extremely loosely, running for President” since Rhonda was more on a sheep f_king tour of Iowa than running for President, and I bet with equal success since even the sheep turned him down.
Ron Forrest Ron
May 7, 2024 at 7:42 am
People are saying DeSantis is seeking any takers for committing any actions upon his wood now that Mrs Rhonda sees him in the Sunshine for what he truly is and is 100% repulsed by him.
That’s up 8% from the 92% repulsion she worked around back when she thought had any future beyond permanent residency in one of his own homeless camps after being let go from the role he’s given next after his lame duck is finally out the oven.
Next up for Rhonda will be Floribama Community College President (or similar), but Dee only gets to keep that job for as long as it takes for any people that actually liked him to completely forget about forgettable Rhonda. He will be given a great contract that looks like he’ll have employment for life, and he will, but that’s only for the life of Floribama Community College which will be absorbed by a bigger fish school the day “they” figure Rhonda has been forgotten enough that nobody at all will miss him.
Whistling Dixie
May 7, 2024 at 2:20 pm
From the “governor” who repeatedly refuses federal assistance and finds new ways to destroy the state every day. It’s the only thing he’s good at—destruction and blaming others. Love it that fla pol captured him saying “knock on wood” because that just sums it up. The one who makes Richie scooter look like a better governor. What’s next for Floridammed.
Red widow
May 7, 2024 at 4:24 pm
The mantle of the dragon is a on its ways