With a little more than two months left in the 2017 hurricane season, Florida’s emergency management head is leaving his job “to pursue an opportunity in the private sector,” the Governor’s Office announced Tuesday. Gov. Rick Scott announced Bryan Koon’s resignation as director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management (DEM), effective next Sunday.
More than 1 million Floridians homeowners and renters have registered for federal individual assistance following Hurricane Irma.
With tropical storm-force winds less than 24 hours away, Hurricane Irma also is expected to bring storm surge of 6-12 feet to the state’s southern coasts, Gov. Rick Scott said Friday night. “Our state has never seen anything like this before,” he said. The governor spoke at an evening news briefing from the state’s Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. “Think about that: It could cover your house,” Scott told reporters. “This storm surge will rush in; it could kill you.”
State Sen. Jeff Brandes says he will file legislation for the 2017 Legislative Session to fund flood mitigation in affected communities. The idea is to lower the cost of flood insurance by decreasing flood severity in areas covered by the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Community Rating System. The legislation will create a matching grant program, in part through the state’s Land Acquisition Trust Fund, for “local projects (that) reduce flood risks and acquire conservation land for the purpose of mitigating flood risk,” Brandes’ office said…
One of the responsibilities of living in the paradise of Florida is annually preparing for hurricane season. After a 10- year run with few hurricane impacts in Florida, it is important that we all prepare a plan. We certainly had a wake-up call with the heavy rains across the state from Tropical Storm Colin this past week. Therefore, I encourage you to visit the Florida Division of Emergency Management website (www.flgetaplan.com) to develop an emergency plan for your family and/or…
Gov. Rick Scott has elevated the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee to Level 2 as Florida prepares for what has been named Tropical Depression No. 3 developing in the Gulf of Mexico. Scott issued a statement 11:15 a.m. Sunday: “As we continue to closely monitor this tropical depression, Floridians should remain vigilant and have an emergency plan for their families and businesses in place today.” The warning is a reminder to Florida residents, visitors and businesses to stay vigilant…
BP conceded Thursday that more oil than it estimated is gushing into the Gulf of Mexico as heavy crude washed into Louisiana’s wetlands for the first time, feeding worries and uncertainty about the massive monthlong spill. Mark Proegler, a spokesman for oil giant BP PLC, told The Associated Press that a mile-long tube inserted into a leaking pipe over the weekend is capturing 210,000 gallons a day – the total amount the company and the Coast Guard have estimated is…
