Flashback: DeSantis Warned of Ian Tracking East, Urged Swift Preparations Several Days Before Landfall

Published Oct. 3, 2022, 12:20 p.m. ET | Updated Oct. 3, 2022

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TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – The governor’s office released a video montage of clips highlighting Gov. Ron DeSantis’ efforts to warn Floridians about evacuating and preparing ahead of Hurricane Ian.

Hurricane Ian made landfall Wednesday Sept. 28 and the original State of Emergency was declared for 24 Florida counties on Sept. 23. On Sept. 25, the governor announced a State of Emergency in all 67 counties.

The governor held several press conferences Sept. 25th where he told Floridians to make preparations in case the storm moved east.

“Don’t think that if you’re not in that eye, that somehow you don’t have to make preparations,” DeSantis said. “The last thing you want to see us see it start to really bear East quickly and then have folks who are not prepared.”

The warnings continued Sept. 26th when Pinellas and Hillsborough counties began issuing evacuation orders. One of the governor’s press conferences took place in Pinellas County.

“Safety is paramount. We want to make sure that everyone gets through this in a safe way,” he said. “What’s not doable is to bring somebody back if they end up being in a situation that they don’t survive.”

As the storm began ticking further east, the governor urged Floridians Sept. 27 to heed the evacuation orders from local governments.

“There’s evacuation orders that are in place on all these counties from Pasco and Pinellas down to the Fort Myers area,” he said. “So please heed those warnings. You do not need to evacuate to another state. You don’t need to go hundreds of miles away. There are shelters that are open.”

The governor noted then that 2.5 million Floridians were under evacuation orders.

“We can’t unring the bell if you stay and you end up getting washed away with a historic storm surge or get caught in some really, really significant flooding,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis Urges Floridians to Know Evacuation Zone, Warns Against Panic Buying

“Listen to your local emergency management officials. There have been evacuations now in place for some time, up and down the Gulf Coast of Florida,” he said.

The governor warned that the storm would strengthen to a Category 4 storm and hit southwest Florida.

“So that is not a risk that you want to take,” he said. “You still have time to do it.”

That same day he said the “stakes are high” and “now is the time to evacuate” if people are in evacuation zones in southwest Florida. He noted there are “vulnerable areas” with “potentially catastrophic storm surge.”

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