MIAMI — Gov. Ron DeSantis has effectively inserted himself into some of the most high-profile fights in the nation, from Covid to immigration.
But the latest battle he faces that has thrust Florida into the national spotlight is something he didn’t choose: Hurricane Helene’s wreckage. So far, at least eleven people in Florida died, DeSantis said Saturday morning, and the storm’s sheer size brought massive destruction to Florida’s Gulf coast and to the Big Bend region which already got battered twice in the last year.
While it is very early in the state’s recovery, which will take weeks or even months, the hours and days after the storm has passed are critical. Rescuers are rushing to reach those who may be stranded, and first responders and line workers race to clear roads and restore power for the hundreds of thousands still in the dark.
On top of the humanitarian toll, storm response can make — or break — the legacy of Florida chief executives. Helene isn’t the most destructive or deadly hurricane DeSantis has responded to as governor, but it’s the largest since he dropped out of the presidential race. And it comes as the term-limited DeSantis enters the final two years of office, with some signs that his influence has already slipped in the state.
