PERRY, FL (352today.com) – Set against the backdrop of huge uprooted trees in Perry on Wednesday, Aug. 30, Gov. Ron DeSantis updated the media on the impact of Hurricane Idalia on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
In the fishing village of Steinhatchee, saltwater from the Gulf swallowed anything in its path.
Complicating matters, the governor said officials received reports of people trying to loot in Steinhatchee. He said he’s instructed state personnel to protect people’s property. “We’re not going to tolerate any looting in the aftermath of a natural disaster,” said DeSantis. “I mean, it’s ridiculous that you would try to do something like that on the heels of an almost Category 4 hurricane hitting this community.”
He warned potential looters that a lot of Floridians are proponents of the Second Amendment. “People have a right to defend their property,” said DeSantis.
“I’ve seen signs in different people’s yards in the past after these disasters… ‘You loot! We shoot!’ You never know what’s behind that door,” cautioned DeSantis. “If 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 family. So I would not do it.”
DeSantis vowed to hold looters accountable from a law enforcement perspective and urged looters to not risk their lives potentially encountering an armed homeowner.
“Let’s all band together and lift people up and not try to take advantage of a difficult situation.”