Hurricane Michael: A hellish October surprise in races for Florida governor, Senate?
Less than a month from
Any landfall in
"Amazing to think with razor thin margins in FL statewide elections an October hurricane could swing it all ..." Republican strategist
Already, the gathering storm has forced Mayor
With the storm approaching, Scott issued a state of emergency Sunday for 26 counties and began calling mayors and sheriffs. By Monday afternoon, Scott had expanded the order to 35 counties and asked President
Gillum played out his Sunday schedule, attending a
He said the city expects at least 100 linemen to be ready before Michael makes landfall Tuesday night, addressing a chief criticism about the way his city responded to the 2016 storm Hermine, which knocked out power to much of the city. He also said the city has signed mutual aid agreements with private utility companies, something he said did not exist in 2016.
"We broke that wall down following Hermine, where you now get much more quick coordination between the public and the private utilities," Gillum told the press.
Gillum has been criticized for not accepting help from
Though the decision was actually made by the city's utilities director, and
As Gillum prepared his city for the oncoming storm, his supporters, including
Meanwhile, bad blood not withstanding, Gillum and Scott have discussed preparations for Michael. Both candidates spent Monday assuring the press that crews were on standby, and that the city and state were ready.
Scott made passing reference to the disputes that arose after Hermine during a Sunday evening press briefing. He urged local governments to review their resources, supplies and mutual aid agreements for utility assistance, "so there is no delay in power restoration for all Floridians."
"Two years ago, I asked for these agreements to be put in place because mutual aid agreements are critical," he added, hinting at Hermine's fallout. "They establish resources in advance."
When asked about his call with Gillum, Scott said his job "is to work with everyone around the state" and that he had reached out to several sheriffs and mayors. "My expectation is everybody take the time to get prepared."
Scott's own hurricane nightmare -- an episode during which 12 seniors died at a
Changing forecasts late Monday afternoon shifted the storm's track west, potentially sparing
Press secretary
"We will continue to monitor the storm and will determine how the campaign can be of the most help to those preparing for the storm and will be impacted in the coming days," Vasquez said.
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