Skyrocketing inflation has haunted Biden’s presidency since he took office in January 2021. This year, inflation reached a 40-year high, with the Consumer Price Index increasing 8.5 percent for the year.
Rising inflation has coincided with rising gas prices, which has left many Americans unable to carry out day-to-day activities such as grocery shopping and getting to work.
High gas prices have the potential to particularly hurt states like Florida that heavily rely on tourism. One Florida resident spoke of his frustration when she wanted to visit her family.
“My family doesn’t live in Gainesville. I moved here ten years ago to go to school. All my family is a couple of hours away whenever I want to go see them; that trip alone is costing me twice as much as it used to,” She said.
Beyond hurting Florida’s tourism industry, increasing gas prices could have deadly consequences for Floridians.
Today, AAA released the results of a survey asking how many Floridians would evacuate their homes if a hurricane struck the state. The results were harrowing, with forty-two percent of Florida’s residents saying they would be hesitant to evacuate due to high gas prices.
Twenty-five percent of Floridians said they would not evacuate at all.
‘Biden inflation’ or Bidenflation has already decreased the standard of living for people across the state of Florida and across the country. Now, as hurricane season approaches, inflation could cost lives.
Gas prices currently sit at a near record-high of $4.57 in the state and could hit $5 a gallon by mid-June, according to Patrick De Haan of Gasbuddy.com.
Florida’s Division of Emergency Management Director, Kevin Guthrie, predicted that many people would use nearby emergency shelters rather than traveling to hotels.
Last year, three hurricanes struck the state of Florida, with one Hurricane Elsa, causing thirteen deaths and roughly $1.2 billion in damage.
Forecasters at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center predict that there will be fourteen to twenty-one hurricanes in 2022, with three to six major storms that could see winds of 111 miles per hour or higher.
Biden inflation must be addressed, or it could have deadly consequences in Florida.
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