JUPITER — Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling on Florida residents to prepare for hurricane season and said the state is better prepared now to deal with storms than it has been in the past.
He said at a news conference at a Home Depot in Jupiter on May 30 that there is normally a tax free holiday on hurricane supplies around June 1 — the first day of hurricane season — but that the state budget impasse has kept that from happening. He hopes one will happen this summer when the new budget is in place.
“You just have to prepare and plan that we are going to have impacts,” DeSantis told a sea of workers and shoppers. “If you plan and it doesn’t happen, you are never going to have great regrets on that. If you don’t plan and it happens, you are going to be immediately saying, ‘Why didn’t I do this?’ ”
Last year’s hurricane season had the fasted debris pickup Ron DeSantis has seen
Recent storms like Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which made landfall within weeks of each other, found Florida better prepared to deal with storms, DeSantis said. Utilities statewide, led by Florida Power & Light Co., restored electrical power rapidly after the storms.
A program that diverted all Florida Department of Transportation dump trucks to debris cleanup made storm pickups faster and more efficient. Essential local stores like supermarkets, led by Publix, are now better prepared with generators to open quicker after hurricanes hit, the governor said.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during a hurricane preparedness press conference at Home Depot on May 30, 2025, in Jupiter, Florida.
DeSantis said the state received a reimbursement under the Biden Administration for its debris cleaning-efforts, but he doesn’t know if the state will receive a similar reimbursement this year.
“People were like, ‘Where is the president in all of this stuff?’ DeSantis said. “I think the Biden Administration was sensitive on the heels of that.”
DeSantis said that if people are told to evacuate their homes, they don’t have to travel to other states or take a “major excursion.” He recommended that people in Palm Beach County find a place to stay more inland.
The state cannot expect assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency on hurricane preparation or response, he said. Any assistance from FEMA after the storm would require approval from the people running the agency, he said.
Kevin Guthrie, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management speaks during Florida Governor Ron DeSantis hurricane preparedness press conference at Home Depot on May 30, 2025, in Jupiter, Florida.
Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said this hurricane season is predicted to be similarly active as compared to last year. He told people to follow a five-step plan to prepare for hurricane season:
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Know your home. If it was built before 2004, it is likely not up to Florida building codes.
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Know your zone. Are you in a storm surge or flood zone?
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Make a plan for everyone in your family, including pets. Build a disaster supply kit with essentials like water, food, flashlights, batteries and power banks.
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Keep your electric vehicles charged and gas tanks at least halfway full.
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If you need to evacuate, find a hotel or shelter built after 2004.
Don’t leave pets behind and be aware of looting
DeSantis pointed out that every county in Florida has pet-friendly shelter options and people should never feel like they have to leave their pets behind during an evacuation.
He spoke about a dog chained to a fence along Interstate 75 ahead of Hurricane Milton — who was later rescued by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper — and mentioned two bills that he signed in Loxahatchee on May 28 aimed at cracking down on animal negligence and abuse.
“The dog would have died hadn’t (the trooper) done that,” DeSantis said. “Why would you chain a dog up to a fence like that in that situation? It just makes no sense. And you shouldn’t have to do a law on this. … But unfortunately, this is where we are.”
He also reminded people about the dangers of looting and violating private property, especially after a hurricane blows through.
“If you’re thinking about committing any of these bad acts, I would think again,” DeSantis said. “You never know what’s on the other side of that door in a Second Amendment state.”
Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Gov. DeSantis at Jupiter Home Depot: Prepare for hurricane season
