DeSantis Declares Emergency After Panhandle Tornado, Immediately Leaves State For Iowa Campaign Event

January 9, 2024 Natural Disasters, Republicans

Tampa’s Fox affiliate reports:

As daylight broke along Florida’s panhandle, residents in Panama City Beach got a glimpse of the damage left behind after a tornado touched down Tuesday morning. Video shot by Chris Keefe showed the path of destruction the tornado left in its wake on the east end of Panama City Beach.

The video shows toppled trees, flipped cars, roofs caved in, and debris littered throughout the area. Numerous damage reports have been coming in from Lower Grand Lagoon near Panama City Beach and Marianna, including an RV park where search and rescue operations were underway.

Politico reports:



Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday declared a state of emergency for 49 Florida counties after strong storms hammered the Panhandle, leaving a wide swath of damage across the region. DeSantis finalized the emergency declaration from the state Capitol in Tallahassee as tornado sirens blared throughout the complex.

The storm brought reports of at least three tornadoes and winds of up to 70 mph as it moved east. Many of the areas hit by Tuesday’s storm had also taken a direct hit from Hurricane Michael, which made landfall as a Category 5 storm near Panama City before it moved north toward Jackson county and the Georgia state line.

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