Ron DeSantis says Florida faces 'monumental' task as search and rescue efforts begin after Hurricane Ian
DeSantis tells 'America's Newsroom' Lee and Charlotte Counties will need to rebuild infrastructure
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis detailed the state's "monumental effort" to help aid recovery after Hurricane Ian battered the state's southwest coast as a Category 4 storm.
DeSantis joined "America's Newsroom" Thursday to discuss the importance of prioritizing the "safety" of residents in harm's way, and "stabilizing" communities during the aftermath.
"It's really about the safety of the people who may still be in harm's way, bringing them to a safer environment and then stabilizing the situation," DeSantis told co-hosts Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FORMER TAMPA MAYOR ON AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE IAN: GOING TO BE A 'REALLY BAD DAY'
"I think Lee and Charlotte is probably going to have to rebuild some of the underlying infrastructure," he continued. "And so that's not as simple as… taking a downed power line and reconnecting it. There's massive amounts of supplies and food, and all that medical, so this is a monumental effort, and these next 72 hours are really about securing people's safety and stabilizing the situation."
The governor confirmed search and rescue efforts have been underway "minute by minute," although he could not confirm an exact number of people who have been rescued so far.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Curious sightseers walk in the receding waters of Tampa Bay due to the low tide and tremendous winds from Hurricane Ian in Tampa, Fla., Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. ((Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel via AP))
He was also unable to confirm any number of potential fatalities, as officials said earlier they fear hundreds are dead.
"I know that the Coast Guard, I think before it even got light out, had already rescued 19 people," DeSantis said. "We have our urban search and rescue teams that are on the ground in these areas, so this is happening minute by minute. And my hope is that that number gets as high as possible because when they're being rescued… that means that they're safe."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"They may be in difficult circumstances we can bring… them to a more stable environment, but that's the goal, to find anybody who is in need of assistance," he continued.
Hurricane Ian battered Florida Wednesday as a Category 4 storm, but was downgraded to a tropical storm by Thursday morning.
More than 2 million Floridians are without power as rescue crews assess the damage left in the storm's path of destruction.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}DeSantis is expected to hold another press briefing in southwest Florida after assessing storm damage Thursday afternoon.