Florida Governor Ron DeSantis reassured residents on Tuesday that there is no fuel shortage in the state as Hurricane “Milton” approaches. Despite reports of some gas stations running out of fuel, DeSantis stated in a press conference on Tuesday that fuel continues to arrive in Florida through ports and efforts are being made to distribute it locally.
However, DeSantis acknowledged that some gas stations have started to experience fuel shortages. Local residents have been lining up to fill their tanks, partly due to heeding evacuation orders from local officials in anticipation of the impact from Hurricane “Milton.”
DeSantis made these remarks in response to reports of fuel shortages in Florida. He assured Floridians that they will have sufficient fuel for evacuation before “Milton” makes landfall if needed.
The governor stated that the state government is coordinating efforts, and Florida has accumulated a significant reserve of fuel before “Milton” approaches. Workers have been delivering fuel to gas stations across the state that have already run out of fuel in the past 24 hours.
DeSantis mentioned that Florida currently has a reserve of 268,000 gallons of diesel, 110,000 gallons of gasoline, and an additional 1.2 million gallons of diesel and gasoline are on their way to the state.
On Monday night, Florida Highway Patrol escorted 27 fuel trucks to gas stations in areas expected to be affected by “Milton.” Additionally, state officials are collaborating with several fuel companies to ensure that fuel trucks operate round the clock to facilitate the delivery of fuel when it reaches the ports.
According to meteorological forecasts, “Milton” is expected to make landfall around 11 PM on Wednesday or shortly after midnight on Thursday as a Category 3 hurricane, with Tampa Bay being a likely landing area.
DeSantis also advised Florida residents during the press conference that there is no need to evacuate hundreds of miles away. Moving tens of miles inland should be sufficient to avoid the anticipated severe destruction caused by the storm.