Moment when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis experiences press conference blackout as Hurricane Idalia makes landfall with 125 mph Cat-3 winds
- Hurricane Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach Wednesday morning
- Governor DeSantis experienced a power outage in Tallahassee
- More than 200,000 Florida residents are without power in the state
This is when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was left in the dark during a power outage as he shared updates on Hurricane Idalia’s landfall in the state.
Hurricane Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach Wednesday morning after weakening to a Category 3 storm.
The blackout at DeSantis’ Tallahassee press conference lasted only about 10 seconds before the generators kicked in.
“Here we go with our power,” said the governor and presidential candidate as the lights went out.
More than 200,000 Florida residents have been without power since 9 a.m. EST, according to poweroutage.us.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was left in the dark during a power outage as he shared updates on Hurricane Idalia’s landfall in the state.
Hurricane Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach Wednesday morning after weakening to a Category 3 storm
From his headquarters, DeSantis warned “don’t mess with this storm.”
He added that 11 tornado warnings have been issued, saying “It will have a significant, significant impact.”
The governor declared a state of emergency for 49 Florida counties, while 5,500 members of the National Guard were mobilized to assist in evacuations and building defenses.
“We’ve never seen a storm surge of this magnitude in our lives in this part of Florida,” DeSantis said Tuesday afternoon. “So please, please take proper precautions.”
Authorities have warned that the drop from Category 4 to Category 3 “does not reduce” the threat to life, adding that the event is a one-off off Florida’s northwest coast.
It is the strongest storm to make landfall in the Big Bend region in 127 years, comparable to an unnamed 1896 hurricane.
And it’s the latest hurricane to ravage Florida, having barely recovered from 2022’s Hurricane Ian, which cost the state $113 billion to repair.
Flood water hits downtown Tarpon Springs hours before Idalia made landfall
Footage from the hardest-hit areas shows flooding on Fort Myers beach – which was devastated by Hurricane Ian last year – while Tampa Bay is almost completely submerged
St Petersburg police shared a video showing the extent of the floods that swept away homes in a mobile caravan park
CLEARWATER: Flooding and stormwater hit the coast as Clearwater Harbor Marina was swallowed by the rising tide Wednesday morning
The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned of catastrophic storm surges as high as 10 to 16 feet in the hardest hit areas.
Footage from the hardest-hit areas shows flooding on Fort Myers beach – which was devastated by Hurricane Ian last year – while Tampa Bay is almost completely submerged.
Meanwhile, footage shows Horseshoe Beach completely submerged as debris washes through a structure.
And St Petersburg police shared a video of the extent of the floods that swept away homes in a mobile caravan park, confirming they had already rescued one person as of 6:50am.
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge is closed to all traffic as sustained winds exceed 80 km/h.
More than 1,000 people in Sarasota were without power overnight, and many other areas were previously shut off as a precaution.
North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia have all declared a state of emergency, with both California and New York providing assistance.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is sending specialized search and rescue teams to Orlando and Atlanta.
New York’s Task Force 1, made up of NYPD and fire department personnel, has arrived in South Carolina in preparation for rescue efforts.