Duval Times

Senator Rick Scott visited the Taylor County Emergency Operations Center today to receive briefings from local law enforcement and emergency management officials as Florida prepares for Hurricane Helene. Accompanying him were Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, Taylor County Sheriff Wayne Padgett, and Florida State Senator Corey Simon. Senator Scott is traveling around Florida to urge families to prepare for the storm, evacuate if necessary, and stay safe.

This week, Senator Scott has had daily calls with National Hurricane Center (NHC) Director Dr. Mike Brennan for updates on Hurricane Helene. Earlier today, he received a briefing from Bay County and Franklin County.

On Monday, Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging immediate approval of Florida’s request for a pre-landfall emergency declaration for potentially impacted counties. President Biden approved the emergency declaration on Tuesday afternoon.

Senator Rick Scott stated, “I just visited the Taylor County Emergency Operations Center where I received a briefing from local and state elected officials and one thing is clear: Major Category 4 Hurricane Helene is a massive storm that we are expecting to bring lots of flooding—THIS IS DEADLY. The NHC is expecting up to 20 feet of storm surge in the Big Bend region. You cannot survive this. Take this storm seriously. I know families in Taylor County are storm weary. This area has been devastated by Idalia, Debby and now is preparing for Helene, and we need everyone to get out. All of Taylor County is under a mandatory evacuation order. If law enforcement is advising you to get out, listen to them."

He added, "Every Floridian needs to do their part. I’ve been talking to NHC Director Dr. Michael Brennan and have remained in constant contact with local officials and law enforcement to make sure they have all the resources they need to prepare for and respond to this storm. Families all along our Gulf Coast have to take this seriously. Stock up on supplies and stay alert to weather threats to make sure that your families and businesses are prepared for a storm."

Senator Scott encourages all Floridians to visit his website at www.rickscott.senate.gov/hurricane-preparedness for preparation tips. Updates on Hurricane Helene can be found at nhc.noaa.gov or @NHC_Atlantic on X (formerly known as Twitter), and from the Florida Division of Emergency Management at floridadisaster.org or @FLSERT.