DeSantis Issues Warning to Residents to Avoid Preventable Post-Hurricane Fatalities

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a press conference at the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee, Fla., on Sept. 26, 2024. Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday said that residents should be advised to “please exercise caution” in the wake of Hurricane Milton’s impact across the state, urging people not to go into flood zones and to use generators correctly.

Milton slammed into Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm, leaving millions of people without power.

“What we are also seeing is we’re now in the period where you have fatalities that are preventable,” DeSantis said at a Friday morning news conference. “We have had fatalities because of interaction with downed power lines and water.”

“We are seeing hazards that are still there, so please exercise caution. Don’t wade into flood waters. Be careful how you’re using ladders. Use generators properly. Make sure it’s outside your home. Don’t run that generator inside.”

“We see debris, probably not as much debris, quite frankly, as I anticipated 48 hours ago when you were looking at what the storm was doing, but you have a lot of debris,” the governor said. “If you have debris interacting with power lines, don’t mess with it.”

He added that workers “will come and be able ... to get that handled. So please exercise caution if you need assistance with things like helping with your house.”

Meanwhile, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister urged certain residents of the country to leave due to flooding along the Alafia River.

“Please get out now,” Chronister said, CNN reported Friday. “The water is not going down; the water is only going to increase. So, if you’re on the fence on whether you should leave or not leave—please, let’s keep everyone safe—let’s leave now.”

According to the National Water Prediction Service, one section of the river is expected to crest near 24.90 feet later Friday. At just over 24 feet, the river was already in its “major” flooding stage.

After Milton made landfall south of Tampa, Florida, on Wednesday evening, more than 2.3 million people are without power, according to Poweroutage.us, a website that tracks outages across the United States.

Speaking at a White House briefing, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said there were reports of as many as 10 fatalities from Milton-spawned tornadoes, but he cautioned that the number was tentative.

At least 340 people and 49 pets have been rescued in ongoing efforts, DeSantis said Thursday afternoon.

The worst storm surge appeared to be in Sarasota County, where it was 8 to 10 feet—lower than in the worst place during Hurricane Helene. The storm also dumped up to 18 inches of rain in some areas.

Helene flooded streets and homes in western Florida and left at least 230 people dead across the South. In many places along the coast, municipalities raced to collect and dispose of debris before Milton’s winds and storm surge could toss it around and compound any damage.

About 80,000 people spent the night in shelters, and thousands of others fled after authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders across 15 Florida counties with a total population of about 7.2 million people, officials say.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.