Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gives an update on state preparations for Hurricane Milton. There is a strong state emphasis on fuel supplies and alternatives from Port of Tampa to ensure fuel is available. This is a very prudent approach.
Emergency debris cleanup operations were able to remove approximately 50% of all roadside debris from hurricane Helene. To give you an idea of scale, during each hurricane landfall event the average of debris created equals 7 years of cumulative debris. Meaning, each hurricane creates 7 years of debris in the impact zone. Getting that moved out quickly is a monumental task. FEMA reimburses the municipal region for the first 10 days debris removal post storm; this reimbursement window provides the county with motivation to get it done fast.
34 search and rescue teams from around the country have joined in staging areas alongside Florida groups. There are expected to be 50,000 linemen in place for electrical grid restoration; this is the largest grid recovery mobilization in history. 500 state police from outside Florida have arrived to help in law enforcement post storm. I am critical of DeSantis and his always political crew around him; however, when it comes to emergency leadership Governor Ron DeSantis does a great job. WATCH:
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We will continue to monitor election events as well as national news events that are pertinent and continue posting articles.
I am also going to provide a link to livestreams below. Clockwise from top left. (1) Tampa Bay – rotating cam. (2) Key West – the southernmost point closest to current storm. (3) Matlacha Bridge between Cape Coral and Pine Island. (4) Central Cape Coral amid one of the many canals.
Hurricane Milton, which was a Category 4 storm as of early Wednesday, is threatening the Tampa metro area — which has a population of more than 3.3 million people. Milton has the potential to be a direct hit and menacing the same stretch of coastline that was battered by Helene. Milton is also threatening the same area that was hit hard by Hurricane Ian in 2022.
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