Life and politics from the Sunshine State's best city

Jack Latvala critical of storm strategy

in 2017/Top Headlines by

Republican candidate for governor and state Sen. Jack Latvala says state officials may have “overdone it” in preparing for Hurricane Irma.

Latvala, in a Thursday interview with the Times/Herald Tallahassee bureau, questioned the mass evacuations of coastal areas, including in his home county of Pinellas.

“I’m not sure that we haven’t overdone it a little bit,” he told the Times/Herald. “Do you have to close down the state four days before the storm gets here?”

Latvala also said constituents have asked him, “ ’Why are we doing this so early?’ ”

“He stopped short of criticizing Gov. Rick Scott,” according to the report, saying the governor “is doing his job as he sees the need to do it.”

But he added, “I think he‘s being a little … cautious.”

The Associated Press reported Friday morning that Irma “weakened a bit more but remains a powerful threat to Florida with storm surges that could reach 10 feet in some places.” Irma’s winds dropped to 150 mph, still a dangerous Category 4 storm.

Latest from 2017

Go to Top