TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday declared a state of emergency for 49 Florida counties after strong storms hammered the Panhandle, leaving a wide swath of damage across the region.
DeSantis finalized the emergency declaration from the state Capitol in Tallahassee as tornado sirens blared throughout the complex. The storm brought reports of at least three tornadoes and winds of up to 70 mph as it moved east.
The executive order signed by DeSantis declaring the emergency includes almost 50 counties that were either hit by the storm or could face damage from more storms that are expected to move over the state throughout the day. The order directs the state to seek federal assistance from the White House and activates the state National Guard. It also allows the state to enter into emergency contracts without the customary bidding process.
The storm hit the Panhandle as the Legislature kicked off this year’s 60-day session in Tallahassee to make laws and approve next year’s state budget. The governor traditionally kicks off the legislative session with a state-of-the-state speech that was delayed this year by about a half hour as the governor’s office finished publishing the order.
“We just do what we do in Florida — we respond when these things happen,” DeSantis said during Tuesday's speech during a joint-session held by the House and Senate. “The state of Florida stands with you and we will deal with the fallout from these tornadoes.”
The first photos of the aftermath left by the storm showed mobile homes overturned and pine trees snapped like toothpicks. State Sen. Jay Trumbull (R-Panama City) posted photos of brick structures that had also toppled.
“Devastating pictures coming in from across our district following this morning’s storms. Please keep these communities in your prayers,” Trumbull posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The looming threat of the storm Monday night prompted DeSantis to close most state agency offices, with the exception of people who work in the Capitol. Tallahassee’s city-owned power utility service reported more than 15,000 customers without power less than an hour after the storm passed.
The damage from the storm may not reach the threshold that would make the state eligible for assistance from FEMA, but state disaster surveyors will begin touring storm-battered areas across north Florida over the next couple of days, Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said Tuesday.
Opening day for the legislative session continued without any impact from the storm. Missing from the opening ceremony was state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who is from Panama City Beach and had traveled to the Panhandle to help after the storm.
Many of the areas hit by Tuesday's storm had also taken a direct hit from Hurricane Michael, which made landfall as a Category 5 storm near Panama City before it moved north toward Jackson county and the Georgia state line.
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