Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urges residents to be prepared

Governor Ron DeSantis stopped by the National Hurricane Center Thursday morning for a briefing on Hurricane Dorian.

After the briefing, DeSantis stressed that being prepared for whatever the storm may bring was paramount.

“The message I think right now is that all Floridians need to monitor Hurricane Dorian and make the necessary preparations. This is a track that has a significant amount of uncertainty. You could make a case for Miami and the Keys to get impacted, you could make a case for it to be northern Florida, obviously central Florida. So really the key is to have your plan and make those preparations right now,” he said.

DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 26 counties Wednesday in anticipation of a powerful hit from Hurricane Dorian during the Labor Day weekend.

DeSantis’ executive order, which is expected to enable better coordination for state and local governments with federal agencies.

“We’ve heard reports of there being fuel shortages already in places like Brevard County. This executive order allows more of that fuel to come. It also allows us to mobilize the National Guard,” said DeSantis. “With a track like this, it is uncertain where to deploy them but obviously the National Guard is going to be on deck for this.”

The governor said he spoke with President Trump and said he was assured that the federal government would be with Florida every step of the way.

“Supporting us in any way that they can. I’ve also spoken with the acting FEMA director and he assured me they’re going to be working closely with us,” he said.

DeSantis said the state’s Emergency Operations Center will be up and running on Friday.

“Today I am also going to requesting a pre-landfall declaration from the federal government for protective measures and also direct federal assistance for generators and pumps,” he said.

The governor said he’s spoken with Florida Power and Light and they will be mobilizing resources from across the southeast.

In addition to being prepared for power outages, DeSantis said flooding is another concern.

“If you’re in an area that experiences flooding when you have significant rain events, well guess what, if you’re impacted by this storm, you are going to see a lot of water. The threat of storm surge, depending on where it hits, that threat is significant,” he said.

The governor said while shopping for supplies, you should have seven days of food, water, and medications if needed.

“People are going to the stores now, water is flying off the shelves. You still have time to prepare, so do it, but have those preparations made in terms of food, water, and medicine,” he said.

If needed, DeSantis said residents should also familiarize themselves with evacuation routes and shelters in case their community is ordered to evacuate.

DeSantis said the Florida State game against Boise on Saturday has been moved from Jacksonville to Tallahassee due to safety concerns.