| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard and Kierra Frazier | | Presented by |  | | | |  This GOES-16 GeoColor satellite image taken at 11:46 a.m. EDT and provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Milton in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. | NOAA via AP | Good morning — we’re thinking of everyone affected by Hurricane Milton and the long recovery ahead. Hurricane Milton made landfall last night at Siesta Key as a Category 3 storm and is exiting Florida near Cape Canaveral this morning. Millions of people had evacuated their homes, though Gov. Ron DeSantis still predicted there would be fatalities for those who didn't evacuate, given the flooding’s severity, reported POLITICO’s Arek Sarkissian. By this morning, multiple tornado-related deaths were reported in Fort Pierce. Milton's winds left the roof to the Tampa Bay Rays' Tropicana Field in tatters. The stadium, located in St. Petersburg, had been set up to house line workers. Power outages have hit 2.6 million homes and businesses, according to the Florida Public Service Commission, which last recorded its outages at 6 a.m. Now the recovery will begin. Florida has 50,000 line workers ready to get the power back up and running as soon as it’s safe to go out, reported POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie. And DeSantis said search-and-rescue teams would start going out last night just as soon as the storm moved away from the Sarasota area. The state also provided shelters with capacity for more than 200,000, including for people with disabilities who may need a medical device that relies on electricity. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) has been sharing updates in both English and Spanish about what the storm would look like and how to stay safe. DeSantis and other officials stressed on Wednesday that a lot of their focus about evacuations has been on the west coast because of the life-threatening storm surge — but added that after the hurricane barreled across Florida, the state’s east side would also face some storm surge as it exited land, in places like Brevard, Volusia, Flagler and St. Johns counties. At least 19 areas across Florida saw tornadoes on Wednesday, with one crossing I-75 near Miami and several hitting the Treasure Coast. The scope of the storm was expected to stretch across the I-4 corridor from Cedar Key to Tampa and Fort Myers, Orlando, St. Augustine, Daytona, Cape Canaveral and Port St. Lucie, creating life-threatening flash flooding and urban flooding in the middle of the state, Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center, said during a White House press briefing Wednesday. That’ll make it similar to Hurricane Ian, whose flooding in Central Florida caused 16 deaths. “A large area is at risk of seeing devastating wind impacts, widespread power outages, structural damage and that could lead to a very unsafe environment after the storm where we tend to see a lot of post-storm fatalities,” Brennan said. Flooding from rivers could take a while to drain because storm surge from the coasts would act as a blocker, said Ken Graham, director of the National Weather Service. Providing a window into what a Vice President Kamala Harris presidency might look like, President Joe Biden held a Milton briefing alongside his No. 2 on Wednesday with top emergency officials. Harris said at the briefing she’d been in “constant contact with leaders in Florida to make sure that we are cutting any red tape that might get in the way of getting relief to folks.” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is already in Tallahassee to work alongside state and local officials, and Harris said the federal government sent more than 1,000 federal workers to help with the recovery. Another 1,200 search-and-rescue workers will be on hand, Criswell said, and the federal government has meals ready to deploy. Looking ahead to how Congress might respond, Harris indicated in a CNN interview with Dana Bash that she didn’t think it was necessary for lawmakers to return to Washington early to supplement disaster aid, but said it should be done when they're scheduled to return. “FEMA has what they need right now,” Harris said when Bash pressed her about the timing. But DeSantis left it more open ended for the state end of the response. He noted on Wednesday that Florida set aside funding for hurricanes and had a massive surplus but added, “If there are things we need to do, we’ll figure it out.” Wall Street analysts quoted on CNBC ahead of landfall projected Milton could be one of the most expensive storms ever to hit Florida and that losses could easily exceed $50 billion, reported POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget in the campaign reporting that Playbook should look at? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com.
| | | | A message from Uber: How does Uber expand transit access in Florida?
Every week, Uber helps over 3,000 people get to and from Brightline stations across Florida. On average, riders travel nearly 6 miles to connect to Brightline, extending their reach far beyond the tracks. Learn more about how Uber is working with transit agencies in Florida and across the country. | | | |  | ...HURRICANE HOLE... | | VOTING DECISION — U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle on Wednesday turned down a bid by two advocacy groups to extend Florida’s registration deadline because of the impact of the two hurricanes that have targeted the state over the last two weeks. The League of Women Voters of Florida and the Florida chapter of the NAACP, represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center, wanted Hinkle to reopen voter registration in the nation’s third largest state and extend it up to 10 days. They filed a lawsuit late Tuesday and Hinkle held an emergency hearing to consider the request. A coalition of groups last week asked Gov. Ron DeSantis to push back the deadline — which was Monday — but the governor rejected their request. “This storm has not hit yet,” DeSantis said on Monday when he was asked about it. He added that there was "no reason" to re-open registration. Matletha Bennette, a senior staff attorney for voting rights with the SPLC, argued that the deadline should be pushed because of the damage wrought by Hurricane Helene and the need for millions to evacuate due to Hurricane Milton. She said that Floridians should not have to “choose between safety and exercising their fundamental right to vote.” Hinkle, who announced his decision from the bench, cited several reasons for turning down the request. He said that the groups had not shown widespread evidence that the hurricanes had prevented a large amount of people from registering. Hinkle also pointed out that people had access to the state’s online voter registration system. But he also said that the state had a substantial interest in setting the deadline and that supervisors – including those in hurricane ravaged areas - were under a lot of pressure to get their work done for the upcoming Nov. 5 election. In his remarks, Hinkle — who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton — alluded to the cloud that has hung over elections since 2020, although he did not reference the unfounded allegations of widespread voter fraud made by former President Donald Trump. “This election may be the most closely watched election ever,” Hinkle said.“It’s important to have election rules and follow them. And it’s especially important in the current environment.” — Gary Fineout BILLIONS IN DAMAGE — “‘This is the worst-case scenario’: Hurricane Milton could clobber Florida’s insurance market,” reports POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. “The storm-prone state has been reeling from insurance problems for years, including spiking premiums for homeowners and insurers retreating completely from the state. Despite some fixes that lawmakers and the industry hoped will stabilize the market, a major storm hitting a heavily populated area — like Milton is projected to do — could erase any progress and send the market into a tailspin.” LOOKING AHEAD — “Hurricanes likely a major issue for Florida lawmakers next session,” by News Service of Florida. "'Frankly, although he (DeSantis) didn’t talk about this now, once we’re through this cycle, we’re going to have to start looking at … a whole new — this is my feeling a whole new philosophy of reconstruction and resilience and resiliency in our state,' [Florida Senate President Kathleen] Passidomo, a real estate attorney, said. 'A lot of these little homes, they’re going to be destroyed. Some of them already have been, in Helene. And how are we going to rebuild? It’s going to be a challenge. I think that’s going to dominate our next session.'" HIGH PRICES — “Over 200 price gouging complaints in Florida about fuel, water ahead of Hurricane Milton,” reports USA Today Network - Florida’s Ana Goñi-Lessan. “The top three counties for complaints are Highlands, Hillsborough and Pinellas, [said Kylie Mason, Ashley Moody's spokesperson.] There were also scattered instances involving overnight accommodations, including one Airbnb listing of a ‘room in Tallahassee’ for nearly $6,000 a night.”
|  Wind-driven rain soaks a street in downtown Tampa, Florida, during the passage of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. | Rebecca Blackwell/AP | RACE TO REPLENISH — “Helene caused a national IV fluid shortage. Milton could make it worse,” reports E&E News’ Ariel Wittenberg. “The center in Daytona Beach produces about 23 percent of the country's IV fluids — and it's in the path of incoming Hurricane Milton. Hospitals across the country are already treating patients without their usual allocation of the hydration solutions after Hurricane Helene damaged another factory that supplies some 60 percent of the nation’s IV fluids and specialty solutions used in dialysis.” RIDING OUT THE STORM — “Sarasota residents who Stayed behind brace for Hurricane Milton’s impact,” reports The New York Times’ Patricia Mazzei. “Two years ago, when Hurricane Ian veered south toward Fort Myers, ‘we dodged a bullet,’ said [Marilyn] Borysek, 60. This time, she and others feared that Sarasota would not be so lucky. Borysek was staying with a friend just a few blocks away. The area was under a mandatory evacuation order, but she said that her friend’s 17-story building on Main Street felt safe, adding that other friends also planned to ride out Milton in downtown high-rises.” HAZARD — “After Hurricane Milton, a growing risk: Flooded electric cars going up in flames,” by the Miami Herald’s Ashley Miznazi. “Not every EV flooded by storm surge goes up in flames but it’s become frequent enough that insurers, car makers, fire chiefs and politicians have all issued warnings to EV owners in advance of the expected devastation of Hurricane Milton. And it’s not just cars that are a concern.” NOT TRUE — “As Milton misinformation swells, some Republicans try to course correct,” reports POLITICO’s Irie Sentner and Andrew Howard. “We live in an era where if you put out crap online you can get a lot of people to share it and you can monetize that. That's just the way it is,’ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters Wednesday in response to a question from POLITICO about misinformation. ‘But if you are hearing something that's just outrageous — just know in the state of Florida none of that stuff would ever fly.’”
| | | | A message from Uber:   | | | | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | PAVING — “EPA gives preliminary OK to using waste in 'radioactive roads,’” by POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie. “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday it has given preliminary approval to a pilot project that would use phosphate mining waste in roads. The approval, announced in the Federal Register, provides for 30-day public comment period on the EPA approval of the pilot project requested by phosphate giant Mosaic on its property in central Florida.” — “UCF, other Florida universities extend some admissions deadlines because of hurricanes,” reports Orlando Sentinel’s Steven Walker. NO CHARGES — “State won't pursue charge against teen accused of posting threat message on social media,” reports Ocala Star-Banner’s Austin L. Miller. “Prosecutors have declined to move forward with charging the boy, saying that although there was probable cause for his arrest, given the specific facts and circumstances, they could not prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. The decision was filed with the court on Sept. 25.”
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | |  Vice President Kamala Harris participates virtually in a briefing on Hurricane Milton in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus on October 09, 2024 in Washington, DC. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images | STORMY DEBATE — Vice President Kamala Harris was asked by the Weather Channel about her back and forth with Gov. Ron DeSantis over storm preparations, given that he said recently that she had no official role in the response and hadn’t tried to be involved formerly as vice president. Harris shrugged off the governor’s comments by saying she “spent my career concerning myself with the safety and the protection of people.” Asked by reporters to weigh in on whether DeSantis should take Harris’ call, Biden replied: "All I can tell you is that I've talked to Gov. DeSantis and he's been very gracious. He's thanked me for all we've done, he knows what we're doing and I think that's important." FLORIDA’S DONORS — “They spend millions on politics. Who are Florida’s biggest donors and what do they want?” by the Miami Herald’s Madeline Everett and Devon Milley. Among Florida’s biggest donors is Ken Griffin, billionaire founder and CEO of Citadel. Griffin has been a prolific political donor, largely to Republican candidates and groups. He’s spent $182 million. Paul Singer, founder and co-CEO of Elliott Management, has donated $41 million and in 2023, he donated $5 million to Nikki Haley's SFA Fund but later donated another $5 million to Donald Trump's Make America Great Again political committee. QUICK COUNTING — “Florida has nearly all ballots counted on Election Day, while California can take weeks. This is why,” reports The Associated Press’ Maya Sweedler. “The choices made by state lawmakers and election officials as they sort out those details affect everything from how voters cast a ballot, how quickly the tabulation and release of results takes place, how elections are kept secure and how officials maintain voters’ confidence in the process.”
| | | | A message from Uber: Expanding transit access in Florida
Did you know that every week, Uber helps over 3,000 people get to and from Brightline stations across Florida?
Key stat: On average, riders travel nearly 6 miles to reach these stations—extending Brightline’s reach far beyond the tracks.
From MiamiCentral to Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Orlando, Uber is making it easier for Floridians to access public transit.
Learn more about how Uber partners with transit agencies to improve access to public transportation. | | | | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | — Trump National Doral hosted line workers who were dispatched to help with Hurricane Milton. — Furry Friends Adoption, Clinic & Ranch in Jupiter was ripped apart by a tornado and is in need of pet fosters, adoptions, donations and volunteers. — A Florida trooper rescued an abandoned dog tied to a fence on the side of the highway, per the Palm Beach Post. — Taylor Swift gave $5 million to support victims of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, per Florida Politics. BIRTHDAY: Former Rep. Steve Southerland (R-Fla.). | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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