Rep. Kat Cammack stands with Gov. Ron DeSantis and other officials in Horseshoe Beach during an Oct. 1, 2024, news conference following Hurricane Helene. (Screenshot via the governor’s X livestream)
Joined by members of the state’s executive branch, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack applauded recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene but emphasized the need for continued work.
Cammack, a Republican, represents Congressional District 3, situated just miles away from Perry — inland from where Helene made landfall — and holds Dixie, Levy, Gilchrist, Lafayette, and Suwannee counties.
“I can’t stress enough how impressive the recovery efforts have been to date, but there’s a long way to go, and so folks need to understand that this is going to be more than just a week here on the ground,” Cammack said during a Tuesday news conference in Horseshoe Beach. “Boots on the ground are going to be required for a very long time.”
DeSantis said Monday that North Carolina, hundreds of miles from where the storm made landfall but the scene intense flooding, needs search and rescue assistance more than Florida does.
State resources are focused on reopening flooded roads in Jackson, Manatee, Pinellas, and Sarasota counties, and coordinating with federal agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide food, housing, and other resources to people affected by the storm.
As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 60,000 customers remained without power in Florida, an improvement from the more than 2.3 million who lost it following the storm.
DeSantis said the state is saving money by engaging prison inmates with cleanup work instead of private contractors. He said debris cleanup “is a very difficult thing.”
“But, this debris, we’re utilizing our resources,” DeSantis said. “We’ve got low-security inmates that are out there who do normal prison labor, the Department of Corrections is bringing them to help with hurricane cleanup. So now they’re out there cleaning up in the debris, which would cost us way more money if you had to do that through some of these private contractors.”
DeSantis said he can provide some assistance through executive orders, such as putting holds on property tax payments for people who lost homes. “Eventually we will need the Legislature” to provide relief completely, he said after a reporter asked about convening lawmakers in a special session.
“If there’s other things that need to be done that we don’t have authority for, we will get the Legislature to do it. So, we don’t have plans to do it now, because we haven’t been presented with the need to do it now,” DeSantis said. “But if there is a need, we will get it done like we always do, and make sure we respond appropriately.”
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Don’t count out Kirk
While areas of the state and Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene, the governor said to keep an eye on oncoming storms.
The National Hurricane Center had not issued watches or warnings for Tropical Storm Kirk as of Tuesday afternoon. The center reported the storm located well southeast of Florida, moving west-northwest. It “should become a hurricane by tonight, and a major hurricane in a couple of days,” forecasters said.
A warning cone released Tuesday did not indicate the storm would hit Florida.
“It’s not a 0% chance that there could be a more serious storm, and it could potentially impact our state in some way, so we’re monitoring that,” DeSantis said. “It’s not something that you should get, you know, worried about, per se, but it’s just something you should keep an eye on.”
Regardless of Kirk’s future, “We’re still in the season,” DeSantis said.
“There’s still stuff brewing out there, and we just need everyone to just be mindful of that and make sure that, if needed, you’re taking the appropriate steps to protect yourself and protect your family,” DeSantis said.
Hurricane season ends Nov. 30.
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