Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody issued a stern warning on Tuesday to “bad actors” in the state, vowing to prosecute anyone who tries to take advantage of Hurricane Idalia’s coming landfall.
In an interview with Fox News Digital on Tuesday, Moody encouraged new residents to take the storm warnings seriously and reassured them that her office would aggressively prosecute looters trying to break into their abandoned properties.
“One thing that we hear from folks, ‘We want to adhere to the warnings, but we’re concerned that our property may be in jeopardy if we’re not there,’ and that will not be a concern in Florida,” Moody told the outlet.
“We are a law and order state. We will not take it lightly if folks are looting.”
The attorney general reiterated that she wanted Floridians “to be in this together” and warned off anyone seeking to take advantage of others’ misfortune.
“We want everyone to be in this together to think of each other to help support one another. We do need to be aware that in times of emergency, in these challenging times, there are bad actors – from those seeking to make a profit off of essential commodities, to those that are waiting in the aftermath to where property is abandoned, and neither will be tolerated,”
Moody also thanked DeSantis for his support of law and order,
“I’m so grateful to work with a governor who is very strong on this and making sure that people understand this is a state that will enforce the law and people should be aware.”
Subscribe to the Florida Jolt Newsletter!
If you haven’t prepared for #Idalia, time is running out.
Please listen to local officials and evacuate if you are in a flood or evacuation zone. With the expected high storm surge, there will be a time when first responders will not be able to reach you. #StaySafeFlorida pic.twitter.com/txGsKoRqnN
— AG Ashley Moody (@AGAshleyMoody) August 29, 2023
In 2022 alone, nearly a half million people moved to Florida, according to the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council. Moody pointed out that with a growing state population, many residents may not have any experience dealing with hurricanes.
“As you know, Florida leads the nation in net migration. Our population is growing exponentially. And so we have a lot of Floridians that have never experienced a storm like this,” Moody told Fox News Digital.
“And so I’ve been asking those like me – who I’m a fifth generation Floridian, my family has gone through numerous storms – to advise those that are new to Florida, please don’t take this lightly.”
“Please heed the warnings,” she added.
“I saw firsthand the effects of Ian and what it meant for folks that were not prepared in the aftermath of that storm. And so we don’t want that to happen for those that are new to Florida. We’re so proud of our state and the success of our state. And we need to take care of and help those that are new in preparing for what this storm can become.”
Join your fellow patriots and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
#StaySafeFlorida https://t.co/Vup9lyzKhd
— AG Ashley Moody (@AGAshleyMoody) August 30, 2023
According to Governor DeSantis, Hurricane Idalia is expected to land on Wednesday at 8:00 a.m. It is expected to be a “hazardous” category three hurricane after recently being downgraded from a category 4.
As of Tuesday, 49 of Florida’s 67 counties were under a state of emergency. The National Weather Service in Tallahassee has said that some areas may be uninhabitable “for several weeks or months” due to damage from the storm.
Other stories you may want to read:
Liberal Media Pushes Vile Lie That DeSantis ‘Rhetoric’ Caused Jacksonville Shooting
[Video] Woman Delivers Stunning Takedown of ‘Trans Cult’ – ‘You’re Not the Hero… You’re the Villain’
- Chuck Millar Stands Out as Palm Beach Gardens’ Most Seasoned Leader - February 24, 2025
- Navy Vet Thomas Turkin Fights for a Better Boynton - February 10, 2025
- Rebecca Shelton’s Vision to Revitalize Boynton Beach - January 29, 2025