Governor Ron DeSantis issued a stern message to would-be looters on Wednesday after Hurricane Idalia made landfall, warning that any criminals that try to take advantage of the storm could meet lethal consequences.
“I’d also just remind potential looters that you never know what you’re walking into. People have a right to defend their property. This part of Florida, you got a lot of advocates and proponents of the Second Amendment,” DeSantis said during a press conference in Perry.
“I’ve seen signs in different people’s yards in the past after these disasters, and I would say it’s probably here — ‘You loot, we shoot.’”
DeSantis commented in response to reports of looting in the small town of Steinhatchee in Taylor County, where Idalia made landfall. He called it “ridiculous” that anyone would consider trying to loot in the aftermath of the destructive storm.
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Hurricane Idalia landed as a “catastrophic” Category 3 storm early morning Wednesday. Storm surges reportedly reached several feet in some locations, with winds reaching 130 mph. Hundreds of thousands of residents were left without power.
Many residents had been forced to flee their homes before the storm, creating fears that criminals might try to pillage their abandoned properties. With nearly a half million Americans migrating to the Sunshine State in 2022, many new residents are experiencing a hurricane for the first time.
DeSantis reassured Floridians that he had instructed law enforcement to protect people’s homes from thieves.
“I’ve told all of our personnel at the state level, you know, you protect people’s property and we are not going to tolerate any looting in the aftermath of a natural disaster,”
“You never know what’s behind that door,” DeSantis added.
“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 families,”
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DeSantis Issues Warning: "You loot, we shoot"
Amen, Brother. pic.twitter.com/hsGeCvxIap
— Florida Jolt (@FloridaJolt) August 30, 2023
DeSantis issued a similar warning to looters in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in September of last year,
“I can tell you, in the state of Florida, you never know what may be lurking behind somebody’s home. I would not want to chance that if I were you, given that we’re a Second Amendment state.”
After the Category 4 storm passed, police arrested 28 people in Lee County for looting, according to a report by the Tampa Bay Times.
DeSantis has taken a break from his Presidential campaign to focus on recovery efforts in the aftermath of Idalia. Earlier this week, he canceled scheduled appearances in South Carolina.
Roughly 5,500 National Guard soldiers and airmen have been activated to lead response operations. The Florida National Guard said its units would “support humanitarian assistance, route clearance, search and rescue, traffic control, aviation, and security missions throughout the area of operations.”
DeSantis also said that the Florida Department of Transportation is currently utilizing 650 heavy vehicles and directing 30,000 powerline personnel to restore power.
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