DeSantis says Milton first responders relocated before storm ravaged Tropicana Field

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) assured the public that there were no first responders in Tropicana Field prior to the destruction of its roof , which he said was not fit for Hurricane Milton’s weather.

The hurricane made landfall in Florida on Wednesday night, which the governor said was thankfully not the “worst-case scenario” forecasters were anticipating. Milton ripped off the roof of Tropicana Field, the domed stadium of MLB's Tampa Bay Rays, where the Florida Division of Emergency Management had initially planned a base camp of 10,000 people to assist the storm’s post-landfall responders.

“They were relocated, so the Tropicana Field is a routine staging area for these things,” DeSantis said at a press conference on Thursday. “I think the roof is rated for 110 miles an hour, and the forecast changes, but as it became clear that there was going to be something of that magnitude that was going to be within the distance, they redeployed them out of Tropicana. So there were no state assets in Tropicana Field."

Governor DeSantis Provides Update #10 Following Hurricane Milton https://t.co/W4M83Tskb6

DeSantis also revealed that 635,000 power restorations have occurred in Florida due to the storm, though over 3.1 million locations are without power. He explained 50,000 linemen were pre-staged before the hurricane and that they would likely assess the damage prior to beginning restoration operations.

Regarding reopenings, DeSantis explained that inspections of Florida's Sunshine Skyway Bridge are underway and that the bridge is expected to be open “later this morning.” The Tampa airport is also anticipated to be reopened no later than Friday.

The Florida governor stressed that the public needs to avoid post-hurricane hazards, which he argued are largely avoidable. Among these include downed power lines, which could be entangled in downed trees or standing water, the latter of which could carry dangerous bacteria.

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DeSantis was asked about deaths in the wake of the storm, to which he said there are “no confirmations” and that it is “too soon to tell.” He informed the public to “stay tuned” on fatality confirmations.

Ahead of Milton’s landfall, DeSantis had been working on Florida’s recovery from Hurricane Helene, which President Joe Biden commended him for “doing a great job.” A day prior to Biden’s compliment, Vice President Kamala Harris deemed the Florida governor “selfish” for ignoring her calls offering her help, though DeSantis has claimed he was unaware of the vice president attempting to contact him.