As Idalia nears, Florida Gov. DeSantis pauses presidential travels to 'get the job done'

A tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico moving toward Florida forced Gov. Ron DeSantis to break from the presidential campaign trail Sunday and place half of the state, 33, counties under a state of emergency. 

Tropical Storm Idalia formed 80 miles east of the Yucatan peninsula around 11 a.m., according to the National Weather Service and currently packs sustained winds of 40 miles per hour.

Forecasters expect it to grow into a hurricane as it moves through the warm Gulf water at 2 mph and could come ashore in Florida later in the week as a Category 2 storm, packing winds of 96 – 110 miles an hour.

DeSantis warns the Big Bend counties of Taylor and Dixie are in the storm’s projected path. The National Weather Service warns that a Cat 2 storm is strong enough to do major roof damage, uproot trees, and deluge an area with rain, storm surges and floods.

“If you are in the path of the storm, you should expect power outages, so please, prepare for that,” said DeSantis, during an afternoon briefing at the Division of Emergency Management headquarters in Tallahassee.

DeSantis advised residents to be vigilant and prepare a plan for Idalia.

“If you are (electrical) power dependent, particularly people who are elderly or have medical needs, please plan on going to a shelter,” said DeSantis, who pleaded with residents to get a plan and be prepared.

'Locked in': A paused presidential campaign

DeSantis, who trails former President Donald J. Trump in the race for the Republican presidential nomination was in Iowa Saturday, but cancelled appearances scheduled in South Carolina Monday.

“We're locked in on this we're going to get the job done. This is important so people can rest assured. We've always been ahead of the curve on this,” said DeSantis when asked about his planned campaign events.

The emergency declaration DeSantis issued enables counties to begin to prepare their storm response while the state begins to deploy resources.

DeSantis said he has mobilized 1,100 National Guardsmen who will be equipped with high water vehicles as well as 12 aircraft for rescue and recovery efforts.

The state is staging resources in Marion County, said DeSantis, to allow for flexible response to where Idalia eventually lands, while a number of electrical linemen will be stationed in Tallahassee.

It is unclear how much Idalia will strengthen or where it will come ashore.

Forecasters say a trough in the north is pushing down on the Gulf and wind shear could limit the storm’s growth and turn it more to the east, away from Big Bend and toward Tampa.

While the Florida Division of Emergency Management is encouraging residents to keep their vehicles' gas tanks at least half full. The storm arrives while South Florida deals with diesel contamination of gasoline from a Tampa supplier.

Fuel contamination in South Florida complicates things

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said any fuel purchased after 10 a.m. Saturday at stations supplied by Citgo from the Port of Tampa has a strong likelihood of being contaminated. 

DeSantis assured consumers the gasoline supply is safe, and there is no threat of a shortage or for consumers to create one through panic buying.

"The issue with the Port of Tampa is one that could complicate this. It has nothing to do with the storm,” said DeSantis.

The governor recalled during Hurricane Ian, a lot of demand for gasoline was to power generators used while electrical lines were being repaired. He said the state managed the gas supply then and is prepared to do so again.

“The fuel is probably going still be delivered. We are going to have the ability to move some fuel in,” said DeSantis.

Ahead of storm: DeSantis issues state of emergency for 33 counties, including Big Bend area

Idalia forecast: Florida faces a major hurricane threat; prepare now | WeatherTiger

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida Gov. DeSantis' Tropical Storm Idalia briefing on gas, power