DeSantis Says Crews Moved Fast to Clear Roads After Isaias Hits Florida Panhandle

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sent state crews out before dawn Saturday to clear major highways and bridges after Hurricane Isaias came ashore as a Category 2 storm along the Florida Panhandle late Friday night, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power.

Isaias brought winds across the Southeast that knocked out electricity widely in Florida and Alabama, where four storm-related deaths have been reported, according to FOX Weather.

DeSantis said work began overnight to reopen key routes. “We scrambled assets at 0300 for road clearing and also for search and rescue, should that have been needed. Fortunately, we have not gotten requests for our search and rescue assets. I think that’s cautiously a good sign,” he told “Fox & Friends Weekend.”

“We have had people clearing the key arteries like Interstate 10 and the key bridges from when it was pitch black at three or four in the morning. And they’re going to continue to do that,” DeSantis added.

Ahead of landfall, the state positioned 16,000 utility workers to speed up power restoration rather than wait to bring in help after the storm passed. “I’d much rather have that than let the storm go by and say, ‘Oh, well, we need 10,000 linemen. Let’s see if they can get here by Monday morning,'” DeSantis said.

He said that approach creates stability so crews can then respond to individual needs. “So the more you can stabilize everything, and yes, of course, the search and rescue when that’s needed is very, very important. But when you do that, then you create stability in the situation, and then we can work if someone’s home got damaged, if someone needs something, and we can fulfill those requests,” he said.

DeSantis said wind shear weakened Isaias before it came ashore, which limited structural damage compared with Hurricane Michael, the storm that devastated Panhandle communities in 2018. FOX Weather reported wind gusts exceeding 110 mph but said conditions ahead of landfall helped prevent what could have been a more catastrophic outcome for the Panhandle.

Risks remain after the storm passes

Former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate cautioned that the days after a hurricane can be just as dangerous as the storm itself, pointing to carbon monoxide poisoning from generators and electrocution from downed power lines.

“In Florida, our history has been that we actually have as many people lose their lives after the storm and recovery,” Fugate said on “Saturday in America.”

“Trees down, power lines, and just a variety of things. And be very careful as you start to clean up. We’ve seen people get injured from falls off ladders. We’ve seen carbon monoxide poisoning with people running their generators too close to their house. So, a lot of this can be prevented if people take their time,” Fugate added.

DeSantis said Florida has refined its emergency response since past storms, allowing for quicker deployment and coordination between state agencies and local governments. “I look back at Katrina in New Orleans and stuff, it just descended into chaos,” he said.

He credited crews working through the night and said the effort would continue until conditions stabilize. “The folks that are on the ground both in our state agencies and in these local communities at the county level, they’re very passionate about this project,” DeSantis said, adding that workers had been going “around the clock.” “They will continue to do that until the situation is stabilized, but they do deserve a lot of credit. They’re the best in the business,” he said.