Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis responded to criticism by climate change alarmists following the destruction brought by Hurricane Idalia.
The Republican lawmaker, also one of the GOP presidential candidates for the 2024 race, cited an 1896 storm that reportedly had winds of 125 mph. He also talked about the state's Labor Day hurricane in 1935. During a Sunday press conference, he said those two instances resulted in massive destruction and deaths.
DeSantis Pushes Back Against Climate Alarmists
DeSantis called the notion that hurricanes are new to the state false, adding that people should stop politicizing the weather and natural disasters. The Florida governor said that history had shown that there were times, in the late 40s and early 50s when there were a lot of significant hurricanes.
The Republican pushed back against adopting what he called left-wing policies at the federal level, saying that it would not reduce the number of hurricanes that occur. As per Fox News, he claims that some people were trying to take the situation and use it as a pretext to advance their agenda.
The situation comes as the Florida governor declined to meet with United States President Joe Biden during the latter's trip to the state in the hurricane's aftermath. Hurricane Idalia landed on Wednesday along Florida's sparsely populated Big Bend region. It was a category three storm that resulted in widespread flooding and damage before it moved northward toward Georgia and the Carolinas.
One reporter previously asked DeSantis if he trusted the federal government to assist in the situation in Hawaii and East Palestine, Ohio. The Florida governor said they had prepared for the weather phenomenon and responded accordingly.
Providing Assistance to Florida
The Republican lawmaker added that the federal government's role in the situation is turning on programs that Congress has enacted for many years. DeSantis said that disaster response is done from the bottom up.
One noteworthy development in Florida is that electric vehicles caught fire after coming into contact with the saltwater that Hurricane Idalia brought. According to WIONews, firefighters from Palm Harbor, Florida, cited the incidents that included Tesla cars and warned residents of the risk.
They said it was crucial to relocate electric vehicles that have come into contact with saltwater from floods in the last 24 hours from garages. The department's Facebook post also urged the public to transfer their electric vehicles to higher ground if possible.
Biden also surveyed the destruction left by Hurricane Idalia in Florida, offering his support and condolences to those affected by the weather disaster. The president saw houses with fallen trees and said that thinking individuals could not doubt that climate change is happening.
Following a DeSantis spokesperson's announcement that the Florida governor would not meet with the president, Biden was asked if he was disappointed with the decision. He said that he was not, arguing that the Republican may have other reasons to choose not to attend a meeting, said Aljazeera.
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