Florida residents braced themselves for Hurricane Milton as it made its way toward the Sunshine State, but the storm—which had weakened before making landfall—delivered less damage than many feared.
Initially projected to cause widespread devastation, the hurricane saw its winds slowed, and intensity decreased in the final hours before hitting the coast.
This from thepatriotjournal.com.
The storm, with a barometric pressure of approximately 950 millibars, left behind downed trees, scattered debris, and power outages, but it was nowhere near the catastrophe that some had anticipated.
Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration had been at the forefront of recovery efforts. His office—working tirelessly—pre-staged power restoration teams, coordinated disaster relief services, and ensured resources were distributed to the most affected areas.
As a result, many Floridians saw quicker recovery times, with power restored at record speed in several regions. The governor’s proactive approach to emergency management has drawn praise for its efficiency and foresight, minimizing the economic fallout from the storm.
From Daily Wire:
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis mocked a reporter during a press conference on Thursday for suggesting global warming was responsible for the recent series of extreme weather events that have hit the state…
‘The most powerful hurricane on record since the 1850s in the state of Florida occurred in the 1930s, the Labor Day Hurricane, barometric pressure on that was 892 millibars,’ he continued. ‘It totally wiped out the Keys. We’ve never seen anything like it, and that remains head and shoulders above any powerful hurricane that we’ve ever had in the state of Florida.’
DeSantis laid out a historical perspective that left no room for speculation. He said, noting that Hurricane Milton was not nearly as powerful as the most significant storms in Florida’s long, hurricane-riddled past:
I think you can go back and find tornadoes for all of human history.
DeSantis cited historical data, pointing out that 27 hurricanes in the state’s history had lower barometric pressure than Milton, many of which occurred long before industrialization was even a factor.
The governor emphasized that while storms may seem more damaging today, that’s largely because Florida’s population has ballooned to 23 million people, making any impact potentially more destructive.
But he was quick to add that his administration’s innovations, like pre-staging power assets, have helped mitigate the fallout.
DeSantis’ message was clear:
[E]xtreme weather is not a modern invention.
He also recalled the tragic Okeechobee hurricane of 1928, which claimed over 4,000 lives, further underscoring the historical context.
In DeSantis’ view:
[I]t’s not about blaming climate change for every storm that comes our way. Instead, it’s about preparing Florida to handle whatever comes next.
With modern technology and a forward-thinking government, Florida is in a better position to recover from these natural events than ever before. His administration’s focus remains on action, not alarmism.
DeSantis, highlighting his office’s proactive stance and underscoring the importance of quick response times and the economic benefits of restoring power to residents as soon as possible:
We never did the pre-staging of power assets until I became governor.
