Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is showing what real leadership looks like in the way that he is handling recovery efforts following Hurricane Ian.
According to Fox News, the hurricane hit Florida on Wednesday morning as a Category 4 storm. Damaging 150 mph winds and heavy rains pummeled the state causing catastrophic damage – flooding, power outages, and more – which has been captured in photographs and videos that have been posted to social media.
Ian, according to reports, is the fourth-strongest hurricane to make landfall in Florida since such weather data started to be recorded.
The storm, which has weakened some, has now moved on from Florida and is headed up the east coast. At the time of this writing, the Carolinas are bracing for impact.
A “24/7 operation”
Meanwhile, Florida has entered into recovery mode. And, the good news for Florida residents is that DeSantis is leading the way here.
DeSantis provided an update on recovery efforts on Thursday.
DeSantis said:
From the wee hours of the morning there have been people that have descended on southwest Florida to be able to offer assistance. And so we’ve seen a number of efforts on the barrier islands to bring people to safety, particularly in Lee County, but also in Charlotte and in Naples, and Collier County. And you have people, the electrical power, they’re all here. And so we’ve got a huge amount of resources that have been brought to bear to be able to do that. And we’re going to continue doing it.
DeSantis emphasized that “this is going to be a 24/7 operation because we realize how important it is.”
Millions have already been raised
At the press conference, DeSantis also announced that he has created various ways for Americans to help contribute to Florida’s recovery.
One of those ways is via the website FloridaDisasterFund.org.
Christina Pushaw, the rapid response director for DeSantis’s 2022 re-election campaign, has revealed:
Wow!! First Lady @CaseyDeSantis just announced that FloridaDisasterFund.org has raised $10 million from generous individuals & companies, including Sarasota’s @rumblevideo. This fund will meet the needs of Floridians impacted by #HurricaneIan more microtargeted than gov’t aid.
It’s clearly going to be a long road to recovery for Florida. But, DeSantis clearly has his state on the right track.