Gov. DeSantis talks Helene aftermath, reveals another storm casualty

Gov. Ron DeSantis is reviewing the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene, which includes a second death from the storm overnight.

“There’s been another fatality recorded in Dixie County due to a tree falling on the home during the storm,” DeSantis said, announcing a death for the second straight news conference. On Thursday, he told reporters a motorist in Ybor City was killed by a falling sign.

DeSantis noted that storm surge was a problem far beyond Taylor County (which has been hit by three storms in 13 months) and the Big Bend, with “many parts of the West coast of Florida” getting worse impacts than they did during Idalia, including Tampa Bay.

The Governor promised recovery would start as soon as the storm was over, and on Friday, he said that’s what happened with search and rescue operations commencing “as soon as it was safe to do and even in many cases when it wasn’t safe to do.”

“We’ve had thousands of missions completed successfully in the overnight hours,” DeSantis said, describing the “rescue efforts” as collaborative between local and state officials, including at “1 a.m., 2 a.m., 3 a.m. … while many people around this country were sound asleep.”

“Those missions were successful, and those missions saved a lot of lives,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis noted that power “restoration efforts are underway,” saying Floridians can expect “to see progress on that today.”

At this writing, more than 1.12 million people lack power. DeSantis said that power has been restored for 1.16 million since the storm began.

Given the Category 4 winds, DeSantis anticipates that “probably some damage to substations” will require repair.

Meanwhile, roadways are being cleared, and 2,000 miles of blacktop are already being handled. Bridge inspections are ongoing. And airports like Tallahassee, Tampa, Lakeland, St. Petersburg, and Gainesville are “anticipated to resume operations at some time today.”