Ron DeSantis details plan to ‘save lives’ in wake of Hurricane Milton

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has detailed in a social media post what he is doing to help ahead of Hurricane Milton. The hurricane was upgraded back to a Category 5 storm as it approaches Florida. While Milton was expected to make landfall Wednesday night, October 9, on Florida’s west coast near Tampa, forecasters have said night on Florida’s west coast near Tampa, but forecasters said “it is critical to remember that even at 24 hours out, it is still not possible to pinpoint an an exact landfall location,” AP reported.
DeSantis said on X, “Today, I visited a logistics staging area at the Florida Horse Park in Ocala, one of our many staging sites just outside Hurricane Milton’s projected path. Florida and our partners have spent the past few days deploying personnel and equipment to strategically located sites like this.”
“Nearly 600 ambulances and more than 30 paratransits are in operation. They will be nearby and ready to save lives as soon as the hurricane passes. The National Guard is deploying aerial, water, and ground search and rescue teams for the largest National Guard search and rescue mobilization in Florida history,” he wrote, adding, “Florida will have 43,000 linemen staged from all over the country, and they’ll be ready to restore power when it’s safe to do so.”
DeSantis then urged residents to follow evacuation orders from local officials. “Your home can be rebuilt, your possessions can be replaced, but we cannot replace a life lost to the storm,” he wrote. “We are grateful for everyone who is stepping up to help, and we will get through this together.”
Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center have urged residents to make necessary preparations or evacuate by the end of Tuesday. “Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida,” the hurricane centre said.