INSIDER
Key Florida port damaged by Hurricane Miltion gets $9.5 million to jumpstart recovery
Read full article: Key Florida port damaged by Hurricane Miltion gets $9.5 million to jumpstart recoveryGov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference on Monday afternoon at SeaPort Manatee to detail the state’s recovery efforts.
Key Florida port damaged by Hurricane Miltion gets $9.5 million to jumpstart recovery
Read full article: Key Florida port damaged by Hurricane Miltion gets $9.5 million to jumpstart recoveryGov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference on Monday afternoon at SeaPort Manatee to detail the state’s recovery efforts.
Mayor Deegan asks residents to be welcoming as Jacksonville hotels fill up with Hurricane Milton evacuees
Read full article: Mayor Deegan asks residents to be welcoming as Jacksonville hotels fill up with Hurricane Milton evacueesAs Central and Southwest Florida evacuees make their way to safer grounds ahead of Hurricane Milton’s devastating landfall, Jacksonville is seeing a spike in traffic and hotel reservations.
Downed trees, flooding and power outages: Hurricane Helene does damage in Florida before landfall in Big Bend region
Read full article: Downed trees, flooding and power outages: Hurricane Helene does damage in Florida before landfall in Big Bend regionTwo power poles where knocked down and blocking the roadway Thursday, in Port St. Lucie, leaving residents to evacuate the area.
Gov. DeSantis: 110,000 in Florida without power; flood risks will continue for days
Read full article: Gov. DeSantis: 110,000 in Florida without power; flood risks will continue for daysGov. Ron DeSantis said as of Tuesday morning, there were still 110,000 customers in Florida that were without power after Debby blew through the state.
Florida’s Big Bend hit by hurricane 11 months after Idalia caused widespread damage
Read full article: Florida’s Big Bend hit by hurricane 11 months after Idalia caused widespread damageHurricane Debby made landfall about 7 a.m. Monday near Steinhatchee as a Category 1 storm, bringing the rural Big Bend region its second hurricane in less than a year.
Florida insurance company pays $1M fine after being accused of mistreating policyholders after Hurricane Ian
Read full article: Florida insurance company pays $1M fine after being accused of mistreating policyholders after Hurricane IanOne of the state’s largest property insurance companies has agreed to pay a $1 million fine after being accused of mistreating its policyholders in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
TWIJ Business Edition - Affordable housing’s growing need
Read full article: TWIJ Business Edition - Affordable housing’s growing needThe housing and homelessness crises are connected to affordable housing, which is positioned to help more people make their way under a roof instead of being stranded under open skies.
1 year after Hurricane Ian: Residents, businesses still recovering from devastating storm
Read full article: 1 year after Hurricane Ian: Residents, businesses still recovering from devastating stormThursday marks one year since Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida as a category 5 hurricane, and to this day, residents and businesses hit the hardest are still recovering from the deadliest storm to hit the state since 1935.
Commissioners expected to OK plan to address St. Johns County’s affordable housing crisis
Read full article: Commissioners expected to OK plan to address St. Johns County’s affordable housing crisisSome of the biggest employers in St. Johns County, like Northrop Grumman and Flagler Health, say they are struggling to find workers because of the lack of affordable housing.
Stay prepared: How to get weather alerts during a storm
Read full article: Stay prepared: How to get weather alerts during a stormMany people pay close attention to weather forecasts leading up to a tropical storm or hurricane, but it’s very important to pay close attention to forecasts and alerts during the storm.
Gov. DeSantis announces plans to expedite 20 major road projects across Florida
Read full article: Gov. DeSantis announces plans to expedite 20 major road projects across FloridaFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday morning his administration is moving forward with a proposal to expedite 20 major interstate and roadway projects across the state of Florida in the next four years.
Lynyrd Skynyrd to headline Hurricane Ian benefit concert in Southwest Florida
Read full article: Lynyrd Skynyrd to headline Hurricane Ian benefit concert in Southwest FloridaRock & Roll Hall of Fame group Lynyrd Skynyrd will headline a Hurricane Ian Benefit Concert at Hertz Arena next month, according to a release.
Manatee County agriculture takes big hit from Hurricane Ian
Read full article: Manatee County agriculture takes big hit from Hurricane IanHurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida at the worst possible time for many in the agricultural community, cutting a path through Florida’s citrus belt and hitting tomato fields just before the start of seasonal harvests.
Amendment 1 could help Florida’s property insurance market if passed, property appraiser says
Read full article: Amendment 1 could help Florida’s property insurance market if passed, property appraiser saysThere are three proposed amendments to the Florida Constitution that the Florida Legislature voted to place on the ballot this November.
Hurricane Ian recovery efforts: As SW Florida residents band together, they’re getting help from NE Florida first responders
Read full article: Hurricane Ian recovery efforts: As SW Florida residents band together, they’re getting help from NE Florida first respondersMore than two weeks since Category 4 Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida, residents are trying to rebuild, but it’s a slow process.
Gov. DeSantis issues executive order to provide ballot access for counties affected by Hurricane Ian
Read full article: Gov. DeSantis issues executive order to provide ballot access for counties affected by Hurricane IanFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that he was initiating an executive order to help ensure voters in Charlotte, Lee and Sarasota counties have adequate access to voting in the 2022 election after Hurricane Ian ripped caused major devastation in those areas.
Local law enforcement and rescue agencies are in Southwest Florida helping Hurricane Ian survivors
Read full article: Local law enforcement and rescue agencies are in Southwest Florida helping Hurricane Ian survivorsAs people work to recover from the devastation Hurricane Ian left behind, they have helping hands from Northeast Florida. Several law enforcement and rescue agencies from our area sent teams to help with everything from rescues to clean up.
Clay County Fairgrounds supply drive collects $20,000, 35,000 items; Truck convoy heads to Southwest Florida Wednesday
Read full article: Clay County Fairgrounds supply drive collects $20,000, 35,000 items; Truck convoy heads to Southwest Florida WednesdayA convoy of truck drivers left the fairgrounds around 6 a.m. They are heading to areas including Pine Island, Punta Gorda, and Cape Coral.
Nassau County deputies helping residents, exhausted first responders in DeSoto County after Hurricane Ian
Read full article: Nassau County deputies helping residents, exhausted first responders in DeSoto County after Hurricane IanAfter Hurricane Ian, residents in the hardest hit areas in Southwest Florida have a long way ahead of them.
‘They’re making a difference in people’s lives’: Red Cross helping Arcadia residents who lost their homes in Hurricane Ian
Read full article: ‘They’re making a difference in people’s lives’: Red Cross helping Arcadia residents who lost their homes in Hurricane IanAfter Hurricane Ian tore through Southwest Florida, people are still struggling for basic needs like power, water and a place to stay.
Northeast Florida medical clinics ship 2 trucks of supplies to people affected by Hurricane Ian in Southwest Florida
Read full article: Northeast Florida medical clinics ship 2 trucks of supplies to people affected by Hurricane Ian in Southwest FloridaSo many people responded to Millennium Physician Group’s call for vital supplies for those affected by Hurricane Ian that the group of medical clinics in Northeast Florida had to order a second truck to load with the donations for Southwest Florida.
Visit Florida aims to counter storm-ravaged images of state with new tourism campaign
Read full article: Visit Florida aims to counter storm-ravaged images of state with new tourism campaignImages of storm-ravaged coastlines and ruined buildings have dominated headlines for a week since Hurricane Ian made landfall. It’s not the image the state’s tourism marketing agency wants to project to the rest of the country.
Supplies for people affected by Hurricane Ian continue to roll in at Northeast Florida medical clinics
Read full article: Supplies for people affected by Hurricane Ian continue to roll in at Northeast Florida medical clinicsAs Millennium Physician Group continues to collect vital supplies to send to Southwest Florida following Hurricane Ian, staff members now say they’ve gotten more goods than they can imagine.
JFRD Emergency Road Access Team helps rescuers get to Hurricane Ian victims in Southwest Florida
Read full article: JFRD Emergency Road Access Team helps rescuers get to Hurricane Ian victims in Southwest FloridaJacksonville is playing a major role in the Hurricane Ian recovery efforts in Southwest Florida.
Group of Northeast Florida doctor’s offices collecting supplies for people impacted by Hurricane Ian
Read full article: Group of Northeast Florida doctor’s offices collecting supplies for people impacted by Hurricane IanSupplies are coming in to help the people in Southwest Florida who were impacted by Hurricane Ian.
List: Sandbag do’s and don’ts after a storm
Read full article: List: Sandbag do’s and don’ts after a stormAfter many Florida residents obtained sandbags ahead of Ian, which made landfall Wednesday as a Category 4 hurricane in Southwest Florida, several counties are offering some information on what to do with those after the storm.
By the numbers: 620,000 Floridians still without power in wake of Ian; death toll varies
Read full article: By the numbers: 620,000 Floridians still without power in wake of Ian; death toll variesThe Florida Department of Emergency Management held a news conference Monday morning to give an update on recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
Supply drive underway at Clay County Fairgrounds for those impacted by Hurricane Ian
Read full article: Supply drive underway at Clay County Fairgrounds for those impacted by Hurricane IanIn an effort to support Southwest Florida residents affected by Ian’s wrath, the Clay County Fairgrounds opened its RV area to offer a place to stay for those rebuilding who have an RV.
Clay County Fairgrounds opens RV park to Southwest Floridians impacted by Ian
Read full article: Clay County Fairgrounds opens RV park to Southwest Floridians impacted by IanIn an effort to support Southwest Florida residents affected by Ian’s wrath, the Clay County Fairgrounds opened its RV area to offer a place to stay for those rebuilding who have an RV.
Ian insured losses could total $40 billion
Read full article: Ian insured losses could total $40 billionA financial ratings agency said Thursday that an initial analysis indicates insured losses from Hurricane Ian could range from $25 billion to $40 billion, putting additional pressure on Florida’s troubled property-insurance market.
Photos, videos show more flooding, wind damage and rain as Ian blows through Florida
Read full article: Photos, videos show more flooding, wind damage and rain as Ian blows through FloridaImages of flooding Thursday morning from St. Augustine’s bayside and nearby neighborhoods filled social media channels and we showed it to you live on News4JAX.com and Channel 4.
DeSantis: 1M+ power outages, massive storm surge as Ian strikes Florida with 150 mph winds
Read full article: DeSantis: 1M+ power outages, massive storm surge as Ian strikes Florida with 150 mph windsHurricane Ian made landfall Wednesday in Southwest Florida as one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S., packing winds just shy of Category 5 strength.
DeSantis: 1M+ power outages, massive storm surge as Ian strikes Florida with 150 mph winds
Read full article: DeSantis: 1M+ power outages, massive storm surge as Ian strikes Florida with 150 mph windsHurricane Ian made landfall Wednesday in Southwest Florida as one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S., packing winds just shy of Category 5 strength.
DeSantis: 1M+ power outages, massive storm surge as Ian strikes Florida with 155 mph winds
Read full article: DeSantis: 1M+ power outages, massive storm surge as Ian strikes Florida with 155 mph windsHurricane Ian made landfall Wednesday in Southwest Florida as one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S., packing winds just shy of Category 5 strength.
Category 4 Hurricane Ian blows ashore in Southwest Florida
Read full article: Category 4 Hurricane Ian blows ashore in Southwest FloridaHurricane Ian made landfall Wednesday in Southwest Florida as one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S., swamping city streets with water and smashing trees along the coast.
Hurricane Ian battering Florida Peninsula with catastrophic storm surge, winds, flooding
Read full article: Hurricane Ian battering Florida Peninsula with catastrophic storm surge, winds, floodingHurricane Ian slammed Southwest Florida on Wednesday, making landfall as an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm just after 3 p.m.
Publix to close stores early in 11 Florida counties ahead of Hurricane Ian
Read full article: Publix to close stores early in 11 Florida counties ahead of Hurricane IanPublix is closing stores in 11 Florida counties and modifying store hours as Hurricane Ian approaches, News4JAX sister station WKMG reported.
Gov. DeSantis: Catastrophic flooding, life-threatening storm surge expected along Gulf Coast
Read full article: Gov. DeSantis: Catastrophic flooding, life-threatening storm surge expected along Gulf CoastGov. Ron DeSantis said residents along the Gulf Coast, especially in Southwest Florida, can expect “catastrophic flooding” and a “life-threatening storm surge” when Hurricane Ian hits.
FWC helps black bear found with plastic container on its head
Read full article: FWC helps black bear found with plastic container on its headA female black bear that had a plastic container stuck on her head for 28 days was freed with the help of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
Remembering 9/11: The role Florida played in investigating the attacks
Read full article: Remembering 9/11: The role Florida played in investigating the attacksSaturday marks 20 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It was a day that saw the State Capitol shut down and tourism come to a screeching halt. Florida played a central role in the ensuing investigation.
Drones, money pitched to bolster red tide efforts in Florida
Read full article: Drones, money pitched to bolster red tide efforts in FloridaDrones could be used to monitor red tide, and money should be set aside to offset local costs of removing fish killed by toxic algae blooms, state wildlife officials said Wednesday as they look to manage future outbreaks.
Impact Christian roars back in hoops state semifinal, will play for title Saturday
Read full article: Impact Christian roars back in hoops state semifinal, will play for title SaturdayThe beat in Lakeland goes on for the Impact Christian boys basketball team. The Lions shook off a rough third quarter and surged back late to beat Southwest Florida Christian 69-54 in the Class 2A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland on Wednesday morning. The Lions (20-8) are now 3-0 in state final four games. Southwest Florida went ice cold against Impact’s defense, committing five turnovers and missing its first five shot attempts of the final quarter before hitting a basket. Senior Calvin Johnson was stellar in his final state semi, going 10 of 11 from the field to lead the Lions with 21 points.
MLB cuts spring training travel, drops college opponents
Read full article: MLB cuts spring training travel, drops college opponents(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)NEW YORK – Major League Baseball revamped its spring training exhibition schedule because of the pandemic, cutting travel for Florida-based teams in an effort to minimize coronavirus risks. College baseball teams, which often play big league clubs but are not subject to major league testing protocols, were dropped from the revised schedules announced Friday. Split-squad games, traditionally used in the first half of the exhibition season to allow evaluation of more players, also were eliminated. Pitchers and catchers open spring training workouts Wednesday, and the exhibition season starts Feb. 28, two days later than initially announced on Sept. 16. The rejected plan would have pushed back the start of spring training until March 22.
Gov. DeSantis expands state of emergency for Eta
Read full article: Gov. DeSantis expands state of emergency for EtaTALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Pointing to the “erratic nature” of the storm as it threatened a large part of Florida’s west coast, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday expanded a state of emergency and asked President Donald Trump for a federal emergency declaration as Tropical Storm Eta prepared to make landfall Thursday. In the request to Trump, DeSantis cited risks of flooding and potential complications in sheltering people because of COVID-19. The governor on Saturday declared a state of emergency for counties in the southern part of the state, after Eta last week hit Nicaragua as a hurricane. In the request to Trump, which could bring federal financial assistance to Florida, DeSantis said some counties also had declared local states of emergency.
County-by-county: Northeast Florida prepares for Eta
Read full article: County-by-county: Northeast Florida prepares for EtaJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Eta is bringing heavy squalls with tropical-storm-force winds onshore as it tracks northeast across Northeast Florida. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday expanded a state of emergency and asked President Donald Trump for a federal emergency declaration as Tropical Storm Eta prepared to make landfall Thursday. It will be a weak tropical storm or possibly even a depression as it moves across Northeast Florida. About 5 p.m., Clay County District Schools announced all schools and offices within the district will be closed on Thursday, and all after-school activities will be canceled. The Bradford County School District said it is closing schools Thursday due to Eta.
State of emergency declared as Tropical Storm Eta looms
Read full article: State of emergency declared as Tropical Storm Eta loomsTALLAHASSEE – A state of emergency was declared Saturday by Gov. Ron DeSantis for eight southern Florida counties because of a growing threat from Tropical Storm Eta, which also could affect northern parts of the state later in the week. DeSantis issued an executive order that declared the state of emergency in Broward, Collier, Hendry, Lee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties, as Eta was moving away from the Cayman Islands and toward central Cuba. DeSantis' order directed Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz to coordinate the state’s emergency plans and to seek federal assistance as needed. Also, to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19, the order said the state will activate agreements with hotels for non-congregate sheltering.
County-by-county: How President Trump once again won Florida
Read full article: County-by-county: How President Trump once again won FloridaIn all, he beat Biden by about 375,000 votes statewide, compared to a nearly 113,000-vote Florida margin over Hillary Clinton in 2016. Though Biden topped Trump by 18,096 votes in Duval County, the rest of Northeast Florida went to Trump by large margins. For example, Trump won by about 130,000 votes in Baker, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties, the four counties that surround Duval. North of Tampa, meanwhile, Trump won by a combined 131,632 votes in Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties. The results were similar in neighboring Marion and Lake counties, where Trump won by a combined total of 95,356 votes.
Subtropical storm likely to form off Florida coast, impact area beaches
Read full article: Subtropical storm likely to form off Florida coast, impact area beaches— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) May 16, 2020While the system is likely to become Tropical Storm Arthur while off our coast, we’ll be on the dry side of the storm and will likely only feel its impact along the immediate coastline. MORE ONLINE: Track the Tropics | Why so many May tropical storms east of Jacksonville? Subtropical storms are not as defined as tropical storms, with its strongest winds located some distance from it’s loosely formed center. They are also not a strong as tropical storms. If these trends continues, advisories will likely be initiated on this system as a tropical or subtropical depression later today.
Gov. DeSantis opens door to return of vacation rentals in Florida
Read full article: Gov. DeSantis opens door to return of vacation rentals in FloridaRon DeSantis banned vacation rentals on March 27 in an executive order aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19. On Friday, DeSantis announced that vacation rentals could soon roll out the welcome mats again --- if county and state officials give the go-ahead. My vacation rentals account for half of my income so having that gone for the past two months has been tough," Brezing said. Commissioners in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Franklin counties, where vacation rentals also outstrip hotel accommodations, implored DeSantis to lift the ban. For us to be micromanaging vacation rentals, I am not sure that is the right thing to do, DeSantis said in February.
Algae panel puts together road map' for Florida lawmakers
Read full article: Algae panel puts together road map' for Florida lawmakersCNNTALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A document discussed Monday by the states Blue-Green Algae Task Force should be viewed, members said, as a broad road map for lawmakers with the 2020 legislative session less than 100 days away. And task force members, meeting in Gainesville to further edit the document, said they will look in future meetings beyond Lake Okeechobee and nearby waterways that have been plagued by toxic algae. Its not just Lake Okeechobee, Sullivan said. DeSantis created the task force through a January executive order after outbreaks of toxic algae and red tide across the state last year. The problems particularly drew attention in Southeast and Southwest Florida, as algae plagued water bodies such as the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers and as red tide caused fish kills.
Septic tanks eyed in efforts to combat algae
Read full article: Septic tanks eyed in efforts to combat algaeTALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida Department of Environmental Protection should be teamed with health officials who permit septic tanks as the state tries to ensure cleaner waterways, members of the Blue-Green Algae Task Force agreed Wednesday. Expanding oversight of the state's millions of septic tanks was among a list of general recommendations that received some support Wednesday from the five-member task force as part of a draft report. "By leaving them out it looks like we aren't considering them," said Valerie Paul, a task force member who is director of the Smithsonian Marine Station in Fort Pierce. The task force had been meeting monthly since mid-June, until Hurricane Dorian postponed a late August meeting. A long-term goal of many officials and conservationists has been figuring out how to move residents from using septic tanks to sewer systems, which has always been a matter of cost.