‘Big, big storm’: Gov. DeSantis warns of Helene’s imminent impacts

Soon-to-be Hurricane Helene is hurtling toward Florida, and Gov. Ron DeSantis is rallying residents to get ready for the “big, big storm” that “clearly has a pathway to rapidly intensify before landfall.”

The Governor said at a TECO Energy staging area in Tampa for electrical linemen that “thousands” would be deployed around the state ahead of Thursday evening’s anticipated landfall “in the Wakulla-Franklin area … in the Tallahassee region.” He added, however, that the storm could “toggle east and hit the Big Bend.”

DeSantis said “most of those models are in agreement” about where the storm could go, and he noted the opportunity for strengthening given that the weather system has “pretty much a clear runway in the Gulf (of Mexico).”

Helene has “the potential to exceed” Idalia in 2023, DeSantis said, referring to the Category 4 storm that barreled into the Big Bend last Summer.

DeSantis has now declared a State of Emergency in 61 of 67 counties, and got partial approval of the emergency declaration from President Joe Biden. He hopes for “more robust approval” soon.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has agreed thus far to evacuation and shelter support at 75% federal funding for Bay, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Monroe, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Suwannee, Taylor and Wakulla counties.

Additionally, direct assistance will be provided at 75% federal funding for Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Escambia, Hamilton, Holmes, Marion, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Sumter, Union, Walton and Washington counties.

DeSantis also offered assurances that gas won’t run out, saying “many, many tankers of fuel” are headed to the state. He said “people have been waiting in line for gas” in Tallahassee, but to his knowledge gas hasn’t run out anywhere.

Division of Emergency Management Secretary Kevin Guthrie urged people who turned off emergency alerts on their phones to go back and turn the ones from the government on.

“You need to be able to receive those alerts from the government so you can make the best decision for your family,” Guthrie said.

Guthrie also addressed the need for full federal emergency funding.

“I was talking to someone this morning about a fiscally constrained rural county on our Gulf coast that’s having to make decisions today because they have been hit by two storms. And they’re saying, ‘Look, we can’t afford to put the police officer out there on overtime directing traffic because we’re not guaranteed that we’re going to get reimbursed for that security mission or that traffic mission.'”