Miami mayor fled Hurricane Ian to attend big money fundraisers; tweeting ‘stay informed & stay safe’

As the state of Florida braced for Hurricane Ian, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez attended two swanky fundraisers in his honor in the Big Apple.

Suarez’s first stop was at Casa Cipriani, an upscale private club on Manhattan’s South Street with sweeping views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty, according to a source who attended the event. The New York Post reported.

The mayor’s next stop was upscale Upper East Side French restaurant Le Bilboquet, the source told the news channel.

As he eats fine food 1,200 miles away and mingles with political donors, sent tweets to Floridians to “stay tuned and stay safe” as storm caused catastrophic flooding, winds up to 250 mph that destroyed people’s homes and businesses.

Both fundraisers were held for Suarez’s Agenda for America PAC, the news outlet said.

Hurricane Ian caused severe flooding and overwhelming storm discharge. Pictured is a resident using a paddleboard to get around Lake Eola. in downtown Orlando

It wasn’t clear when Suarez actually arrived in Manhattan, but he was apparently still in New York City Thursday morning, missing the worst of the storm as it began to move into the Atlantic.

According to a source, the mayor was staying at the five-star Lowes Regency hotel near Central Park, but his political representative would not reveal Suarez’s agenda, The New York Post reported.

Miami was not in the direct path of Hurricane Ian’s wrath, but the mayor sent out tweets warning residents that “he and city officials were monitoring the effects of the hurricane.”

On Wednesday, he tweeted: “In the past 24 hours, @CityofMiami has received 2.8 inches of rain and is expected to rise to 15 inches today and tomorrow. We have to expect heavy rainfall. At this time, we are under a tornado watch and flood warning until tomorrow.

He continued, “Stay tuned and stay safe.”

His Instagram featured devastating images of fallen trees and parts of Miami turning into a river.

Although Mayor Eric Adams was not one of those in attendance at the fundraiser, many other high rollers gathered to hand out a lot of money.

On September 29, 2022, a day after Hurricane Ian made landfall, debris lies in a mobile home park in Fort Myers, Florida.

A man walks near park benches near Lake Eola in a flooded downtown area after Hurricane Ian, in Orlando, Florida

At Casa Cipriani, donations suggested from $2,500 to $10,000, according to a flyer for the event obtained by The New York Post.

Sources said about 40 people attended the event that brought in “brokers, developers – lots of different people who came to support him,” but there were no elected officials, a source said.

That event hosted by Casa owners Michael and Joe Cayre, and Anthony Carone — the brother of Frank Carone — Mayor Eric Adams’ chief of staff — is reportedly leaving at the end of the year, sources said.

Suarez has been the mayor of Miami since 2017 and is one of the top Republicans potentially in the presidential race to look forward to in the 2024 and 2028 race, a report said.

In January, Suarez’s camp began running digital ads on Facebook targeting GOP messaging, “Bidenflation,” crime and immigration, mostly affecting primary electoral states.