Closing Summary
It is now 6pm ET. Here is a wrap-up of the day’s key events across the southeastern states that have been hit by Hurricane Idalia:
Over 1,500 federal personnel, 1.3 million meals and 1.6 million liters of water have been made available to support southeastern statres impacted by Hurricane Idalia, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced on Thursday. FEMA has also mobilized four Incident Management Assistance Teams, over 540 Urban Search and Rescue members and three Disaster Survivor Assistance Strike Teams to support states in Hurricane Idalia’s path, the agency added.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis has announced that following 24 hours after Hurricane Idalia made landfall, utility linemen have already restored power to 420,000 homes in the state. DeSantis said that there were 40 rescues made, including 29 made by the National Guard and noted that wellness checks are also underway, given damage that took place during the storm.
Hurricane Idalia could become the US’s costliest climate disaster of this year, as analysts estimate that the category 3 storm has already amassed $9.36bn in preliminary costs.
President Joe Biden has approved an expedited major disaster declaration for Florida, the White House said on Thursday. The approval makes federal funding available to the survivors and communities of Citrus, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee and Taylor counties.
Georgia has also experienced flooding and destruction from Hurricane Idalia, with the tropical storm crossing through the state on its way eastward. The storm brought winds of 90 miles per hour to Georgia on Wednesday, NPR reported, before slowing down as it crossed into the Carolinas.
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration in South Carolina as Hurricane Idalia is expected to bring intense flash flooding to the region, according to a White House statement. The emergency order provides federal assistance to the state for any emergency situations arising from the hurricane, including assistance from FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security.
That’s it from me, Maya Yang, as we wrap up the blog for today. Thank you for following along.
Climate crisis advocacy organizations criticize Big Oil and Ron DeSantis amid Hurricane Idalia
Climate crisis advocacy organizations are speaking out against major oil corporations following Hurricane Idalia’s devastating destruction.
“As we Floridians face the devastation of yet another massive hurricane, we know exactly who is responsible for making these countless disasters exponentially worse: the Big Oil CEOs profiting off the climate crisis and their political allies,” said Yoca Arditi-Rocha, executive director of the CLEO Institute in Florida.”
“Big Oil CEOs and politicians like Ron Desantis must be held accountable for knowingly fuelling the climate crisis that heats our oceans and strengthens deadly storms — then leading the fight to strip away resources our state could use to respond,” she added.
John Paul Mejia, a Miami native and national spokesperson for the Sunrise Movement echoed similar sentiments, saying:
“By turning down millions of dollars in climate investments while people suffer, Governor DeSantis has shown he’s more willing to shield Big Oil Executives from accountability than serve the people of Florida. My generation won’t forget this and we will do anything in our power to defeat politicians like him.”
Similarly, Jamie Henn of Fossil Free Media said:
“Big Oil executives are sitting in cushy corner offices making massive profits while people in Florida, Hawaii and all over the world are losing their homes, businesses, and lives. Finally holding this industry accountable for the damage they’re causing has become a major priority for the global climate movement.”
