DeSantis on potential looters after Idalia: 'You never know what's behind that door'

CEDAR KEY − Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday that some of the hardest-hit areas from Hurricane Idalia are laden with debris, severely damaged property, and reports of looting.

He gave a stern warning to the looters.

"People have a right to defend their property," DeSantis said at a late-afternoon briefing. "In this part of Florida, you've got a lot of advocates and proponents of the 2nd Amendment, and I've seen signs in different people's yards in the past after these disasters [that say] 'You loot, we shoot.' You never know what's behind that door."

He said he has told the state's emergency responders and law enforcement personnel to protect people's property.

Hurricane Idalia: Thousands without power, storm surge, severe damage

"We are not going to tolerate any looting in the aftermath of a natural disaster. I mean, it's just ridiculous that you would try to do something like that on the heels of an almost category 4 hurricane hitting this community," the governor said.

"You go break into somebody's house, and you're trying to loot, these are people that are going to be able to defend themselves and their families. We are going to hold you accountable from a law enforcement perspective at a minimum, and it could even be worse than that, depending on what's behind that door."

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: DeSantis on Idalia looters: People can defend their property