Duval Times

BRONSON, Fla. – Senator Rick Scott visited the Levy County Emergency Operations Center to receive a briefing from Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum and Emergency Management Director John MacDonald as Florida prepares for the landfall of Category 4 Hurricane Helene. Prior to Helene's arrival, Senator Scott traveled through Florida's Panhandle and Big Bend regions, urging families to make a plan before the storm, evacuate if advised, and stay safe. This week, Senator Scott has had daily calls with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) for updates on Hurricane Helene and received reports yesterday from local officials in Bay County, Franklin County, and Taylor 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 affected counties. Following this letter, President Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida on Tuesday afternoon.

Senator Rick Scott stated: “I just visited the Levy County Emergency Operations Center to receive a briefing from Sheriff Bobby McCallum and Emergency Management Director John MacDonald and thank those working tirelessly to keep families safe. Hurricane Helene will hit TODAY – PREPARE BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE. Levy County is under a MANDATORY evacuation order, with Helene expected to make landfall as a Category 4 hurricane tonight, bringing up to 20 feet of storm surge, deadly winds, and massive flooding. Families must decide to leave now and STAY SAFE. Let me be clear: 20 feet of storm surge is DEADLY. If authorities advise you to leave, listen to them. All Floridians must do their part because once the storm hits, first responders cannot reach you until it passes and roads are safe again."

"I have been speaking with NHC Director Dr. Michael Brennan and staying in constant contact with local officials and authorities to ensure they have all necessary resources for preparation and response efforts," he continued. "Families across our Gulf Coast need to take this seriously. Continue monitoring news outlets and local officials for instructions or evacuation warnings."

"Florida is resilient because we prepare for storms," added Scott. "I can't emphasize this enough: preparation saves lives. We can always rebuild a home but not a life.”

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

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