During a news conference on Monday afternoon, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis revealed that a pre-landfall declaration request for support for Hurricane Milton from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been approved. The governor emphasized the importance of preparedness and urged residents on the West coast of the state to take necessary precautions ahead of the storm's impact.
DeSantis stated, 'We have made a pre-landfall declaration request from FEMA for support, and the federal government has approved a portion of our request for pre-landfall items. We expect the remaining parts of our request, such as debris removal and individual assistance post-landfall, to also be approved once the storm hits.'
Residents in the affected areas were advised to have a plan in place and to act on it promptly. The governor highlighted the significance of following evacuation orders, mentioning the county evacuations that were put into effect on Monday. He stressed, 'You should have a plan and you should be executing your plan. You do have time to get out. So please do it. Please execute that plan now – at this point – if you are in one of those danger zones.'
In response to the impending hurricane, tolls in west, central, and Alligator Alley of Florida have been suspended. Governor DeSantis assured that the toll suspension would continue until it is deemed unnecessary. Additionally, Uber is collaborating to provide free rides for evacuees heading to shelters, with plans to finalize a code for this service.
