Gov. Ron DeSantis announces executive orders and the most recent Hurricane Helene death toll during a news conference in Anna Maria on Oct. 3, 2024. (Screenshot via the governor’s X livestream)
Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state has confirmed 15 deaths from Hurricane Helene, most of them in Pinellas County.
That county has reported 12 deaths from the storm. DeSantis said he thinks the statewide total “is probably at a minimum 15, I think it’s likely more than 15.”
The governor gave the death toll Thursday in Anna Maria, where he announced three executive orders to assist those recovering from the storm and who may be affected by striking port workers.
The Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard will be deployed to support port operations in the state to “mitigate the impact of the current labor strike across Florida,” the governor announced.
Guard members are prepared to handle heavy equipment, warehouse operations, security operations, transportation, and command and control, according to the Florida National Guard.
Three major ports in Florida are part of a 14-port strike for higher pay and job security.
“This has the potential of really disrupting the hurricane recovery and of hurting the people who were victims of the storm, and I don’t think it’s right to try to cripple the recovery that our storm victims are undergoing,” DeSantis said.
The Florida Department of Transportation has received permission from the governor to waive tolls and size and weight restrictions for commercial vehicles for the duration of the emergency.
A second executive order DeSantis signed was to temporarily lift time restrictions on rental units in storm-affected areas to provide housing for those fixing storm damage in their primary residence.
The governor noted that regulations vary in different jurisdictions, with some requiring rentals to be greater than or less than 30 days, depending on the locality.
“Bottom line is, you may need less than 30 days if you’re rehabbing your home,” he said. “Maybe you need a little bit more. If you are a victim of Hurricane Helene, those regulations are lifted, and you can rent what you need to rent, regardless of any arbitrary rules. This will help provide immediate housing that will last 30 days or more for those who need it, but also cover those who need less than 30 days.”
The order will take effect for the 61 counties already declared to be under a state of emergency last week ahead of the storm.
Voting changes
In a third order, the governor granted county election supervisors permission to make appropriate accommodations to enable voting access. A similar order followed Hurricane Ian in 2022.
“Obviously, we are continuing with voter security efforts, none of those are being lifted,” DeSantis said, adding that polling places destroyed by the storm can be relocated.
DeSantis granted the privilege to the following counties: Charlotte, Dixie, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, and Taylor.
“This will ensure that residents that were impacted by this storm and displaced maybe still have the ability to vote in this November’s election,” DeSantis said.
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