Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Associated PressOctober 8, 2016

Hurricane Matthew’s close-but-not-quite-direct-hit path along the Florida and Georgia coasts skirted the difference between disaster and catastrophe, meteorologists said. Even though Matthew eventually made landfall in South Carolina as a minimal hurricane Saturday, the path it took in the days before was a stroke of luck for the United States that meteorologists will spend years […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 6, 2016

On Thursday afternoon, President Barack Obama signed an Emergency Declaration stating “an emergency exists in the State of Florida and [ordered] federal aid to supplement state, tribal, and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Matthew beginning on Oct. 3, 2016, and continuing.” This ensures federal action and oversight: as the media […]

Associated PressOctober 6, 2016

Hundreds of thousands of anxious people boarded up their homes and businesses and grabbed a few belongings to flee inland as Hurricane Matthew gained strength and roared toward the Southeast seaboard on Thursday. In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott said the state, its skies already darkening from early outer rain bands of the life-threatening storm, could […]

Associated PressOctober 6, 2016

Forecasters say the first outer rain bands from Hurricane Matthew already have begun to approach Florida as the big storm crosses the Bahamas toward the state. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says Matthew is still a Category 3 hurricane as of 8 a.m. Thursday, packing top sustained winds up to 125 mph. It’s […]

Associated PressOctober 5, 2016

Hurricane Matthew marched toward Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas and at least a half a million people along the coast were urged to evacuate their homes Wednesday, a mass exodus ahead of a major storm packing power the U.S. hasn’t seen in more than a decade. Matthew was a dangerous and life-threatening Category 3 storm […]

Associated PressOctober 5, 2016

Florida Gov. Rick Scott says the state could be facing its “biggest evacuation ever” because Hurricane Matthew is threatening almost the entire Atlantic coast of Florida. Scott said Wednesday he didn’t know how many people would be ordered to evacuate because it is left up to the counties, but he says every county along the […]

Associated PressOctober 5, 2016

President Barack Obama is being briefed on the federal government’s preparation for Hurricane Matthew as the Category 3 storm makes its way to the U.S. mainland. The president says now is the time to “hope for the best but we want to prepare for the worst.” Obama is at the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s headquarters. […]

Associated PressOctober 5, 2016

The National Hurricane Center has extended the hurricane warning northward in Florida as Matthew heads toward the East Coast. Meanwhile, Hurricane Matthew is heading toward the Bahamas after hitting Cuba hard. The hurricane center says the hurricane was about 105 miles (165 kilometers) south of Long Island, Bahamas. It has maximum sustained winds of 120 […]

Associated PressOctober 5, 2016

Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in Brevard County, and voluntary evacuations have been activated in St. Lucie County, but Gov. Rick Scott urged other coastal residents potentially in harm’s way not to wait to be told to leave. The governor said during a Wednesday morning news conference that “if you’re able to go early, leave […]

Associated PressSeptember 29, 2016

More people are seeking or casting early ballots in the critical states of Florida and North Carolina than at this point in 2012, as early voting shows signs of surging nationwide. Florida doesn’t start absentee balloting until Tuesday, but already a record 2.5 million voters have requested ballots. Republicans are ahead in ballot requests, 43 […]

Tag: Florida

Storm’s 50-mile difference between disaster and catastrophe

President activates FEMA, issues Emergency Declaration for Florida

Hundreds of thousands flee Florida coast to escape Matthew’s fury

Matthew approaches as South Florida sees first rain bands, expected Cat 4

At least 500K urged to evacuate as Matthew nears Florida

Rick Scott: Florida could face largest evacuation

Obama briefed on federal hurricane preparations, S.C. town closes in preparation

Hurricane warning extended for Florida’s coast

Evacuations underway in 2 Florida counties

Florida vote-by-mail hits record 2.5M requests, Republicans in lead