'Remain Vigilant And Be Prepared', Governor Ron DeSantis On Hurricane Dorian's Approach
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami) - Hurricane Dorian's eastward shift in the latest forecast track is good news for those who live along the coast.
Governor Ron DeSantis said, however, while it is welcome news it does not mean the central and eastern portions of the state are out of the woods.
"As I would remind people, as you are looking at these forecasts, a bump in one direction or the other could have really significant ramifications in terms of impact. If it bumps further east, that obviously is positive. If it bumps just a little west, then you're looking at really, really significant impacts. So don't make any assumptions, remain vigilant and be prepared," he said at a morning briefing.
The governor said they will continue to monitor the fuel status and traffic flows and take action if needed. He added that residents should follow the directions from their local officials.
"As of this morning, the following counties have issued mandatory evacuation orders, Brevard County starting on Sunday, Martin County has issued a partial, and then a number of counties have issued voluntary evacuation orders; Glade, Hendry, Osceola, Martin, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie. Obviously, those evacuation orders could change, so just continue to follow local updates," said DeSantis.
The mandatory evacuations in Brevard County are for the barrier islands, including areas from Kennedy Space Center south to the south beaches, and Merritt Island, those in mobile homes or manufactured housing, those in low-lying, flood-prone areas, and those with special medical needs such as electrical dependence.
The mandatory evacuations in Martin County are also for the barrier islands and begin Sunday morning for Hutchinson Island, Jupiter Island, Sewalls' Point as well as mobile and manufactured homes.
To help residents and emergency personnel stay connected in the wake of Hurricane Dorian, Comcast has announced it is opening its network of almost 200,000 Xfinity WiFi hotspots throughout Florida to anyone who needs them, including non-Xfinity customers, free of charge.
DeSantis said while the forecast track shift looks good, there's still a significant chance of a strike on the state.
"If you look at the cone, everyone inside that cone needs to be prepared," he said.
DeSantis said even if Hurricane Dorian doesn't strike Florida directly, this is a big powerful storm, which will bring gusty hurricane or tropical-storm-force winds and significant storm surge. He said the storm's rain and surge could create flooding throughout the state.
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