DeSantis schools reporter trying to tie Hurricane Milton to global warming – Washington Examiner
In a recent press conference, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis addressed the media’s inquiries regarding Hurricane Milton and its potential connection to global warming. He firmly rejected the idea that the hurricane’s occurrence was a result of climate change, emphasizing that tornadoes have been part of human history for a long time. DeSantis noted that the National Weather Service had issued a record-breaking 126 tornado warnings in Florida due to the storm, which hit as a Category 3 hurricane.
During the conference, he highlighted the fact that Hurricane Milton’s barometric pressure at landfall was significant, ranking it among the stronger hurricanes historically, with many severe storms having occurred before 1960. DeSantis urged the public to put recent events into context, pointing out that although population increases in Florida can heighten risk, advancements in hurricane preparedness, such as the pre-staging of power restoration assets, have improved responses to such natural disasters.
He further indicated that the state had deployed an estimated 40,000 utility workers from across the country in anticipation of the hurricane to minimize disruption. DeSantis’s comments aimed to reassure residents that while Hurricane Milton was serious, it was not unprecedented in Florida’s history, suggesting that adaptations made in recent years have enhanced the state’s ability to handle such events.
DeSantis schools reporter trying to tie Hurricane Milton to global warming
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) dismissed the possibility of Hurricane Milton being the result of global warming, citing how tornadoes have existed “for all of human history.”
The National Weather Service reportedly issued a record-breaking 126 tornado warnings across Florida related to Hurricane Milton, which struck as a Category 3 hurricane. During a Thursday press conference, DeSantis was asked by a reporter about the tornadoes and whether global warming had any role in them.
“I think you can go back and find tornadoes for all of human history, for sure. and especially, you know, Florida — how does this storm rate in kind of the history of storms?” DeSantis asked the reporter on Thursday. “I think it hit with a barometric pressure of, what was it, about 950 millibars when it hit, which I think if you go back to 1851, there’s probably been 27 hurricanes that have had lower — so the lower the barometric pressure, the stronger it is. I think there have been about 27 hurricanes that have had lower barometric pressure on landfall than Milton did. And of those, 17 occurred, I think, prior to 1960.”
The governor went on to explain that Hurricane Milton is far from the deadliest hurricane the state has faced, as that title currently belongs to the Okeechobee hurricane in 1928. He suggested that people ought to put this recent hurricane “into perspective,” and realize that “there’s nothing new under the sun.”
A couple things that have changed in Florida, DeSantis explained, including the number of residents living in the state, thus increasing the number of people at risk. However, Florida’s readiness for hurricanes has also improved, including the “pre-staging” of power assets.
“We never did the pre-staging of power assets until I became governor,” DeSantis said. “Now, people expect that. But that wasn’t what was done in the past. That’s why people would be out with power for three weeks when we had hurricanes, we thought that was not good. Now, we have to pay to get these guys to come in, but my view is the quicker you get everyone hooked up, the better off the economy is going to be anyway.”
Prior to Milton making landfall, DeSantis announced an estimated 40,000 utility linemen from across the country were called in to help.
Earlier Thursday, the governor expressed thanks that Hurricane Milton was not the “worst-case scenario” forecasters were anticipating. He also clarified that there were no responders inside Tropicana Field when its roof was torn off by the hurricane, as they were relocated prior to the storm.
The governor has called for Florida residents and hurricane victims to take caution in Milton’s aftermath, specifically downed power lines and standing water. He stressed that post-hurricane fatalities are largely preventable.
Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have commended DeSantis for his response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, with the latter stating he is doing “an excellent job.”
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