DeSantis gives stern warning to would-be looters after Idalia: 'You loot, we shoot'

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DeSantis gives stern warning to would-be looters after Idalia: 'You loot, we shoot'

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gave a stern warning to anyone thinking about looting after the arrival of Hurricane Idalia on Wednesday.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gave a stern warning to anyone thinking about looting after the arrival of Hurricane Idalia on Wednesday.

DeSantis made the comments during a press conference in Perry, Florida, after Hurricane Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach in Florida's Big Bend just before 8 a.m. local time as a Category 3 storm with winds up to 125 mph.

"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. "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.’"

"You never know what's behind that door if you go break into somebody's house," he added.

HURRICANE IDALIA MAKES LANDFALL OVER FLORIDA'S BIG BEND AS A CATEGORY 3, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WITHOUT POWER

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference in Miami on May 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

At least two people have died in car crashes since Idalia made landfall, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

In Pasco County, a 40-year-old man lost control of his Ford Ranger and crashed into a tree after driving too fast given the conditions.

Floodwaters from Hurricane Idalia devastate local businesses and homes in Crystal River, Florida, on Wednesday. (Mayor Joe Meek/Facebook )

In Alachua County, a 59-year-old man died after driving into a ditch and crashing into a tree line.

HURRICANE IDALIA MAKES HISTORIC LANDFALL IN FLORIDA

A Pasco County Sheriff's officer drives through a flooded street after Hurricane Idalia in Hudson, Florida, on Wednesday. (GREG LOVETT/THE PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK)

A flooded street is seen near the Steinhatchee Marina in Florida on Wednesday, after Hurricane Idalia made landfall. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)

Power outages related to Idalia have climbed to over 400,000 customers, as the storm moves from Georgia into South Carolina, according to FOX Weather.

President Biden said in a Wednesday post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he spoke with the governors of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina to "reiterate my Administration's support for response and recovery."

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A sailboat is seen beached at Sarasota’s Bayfront on Wednesday after Hurricane Idalia passed through the area. (Thomas Bender / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Waves churned up by Hurricane Idalia pound the Daytona Beach boardwalk in Florida on Wednesday. (Nigel Cook/Daytona Beach News-Journal)

"We'll keep working with personnel on the ground as the storm progresses," he said.

Fox News' Lawrence Richard and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.