FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – In case you missed it, Senator Rick Scott wrote an op-ed for the South Florida Sun Sentinel urging Floridians to get prepared for the upcoming hurricane season beginning on June 1^st. Senator Scott has been touring the Sunshine State as part of his hurricane preparedness tour where he continues to emphasize the importance of planning ahead for the possibility of a major storm. See more from his most recent stop in Mexico Beach HERE.

Last week, Senator Scott and Mrs. Ann Scott announced that they will be donating his first quarter Senate salary to the American Red Cross Florida Regions and Meals on Wheels, which operates 126 programs throughout the state. Both of these organizations play a critical role in serving Florida’s communities, especially during hurricane season, to help families and senior citizens receive much-needed resources and support. Senator Scott has donated his Senate salary every quarter since taking office. 

In the op-ed, Senator Rick Scott wrote, “Stepping through the wreckage that was scattered across Highway 98 in Mexico Beach, I saw a man and his wife standing in the garage of their condo looking over what was once a beautiful home before the storm surge came. That was nearly five years ago, in 2018, one day after Hurricane Michael slammed into the Florida panhandle as a category 5 storm. I’ll never forget what those kind people said to me when I walked over to greet them: We thought the warnings were overblown and that we could ride it out. We will never ignore those evacuation orders again.

Those folks were lucky to be alive, but others have not been so fortunate.

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If there is one thing I learned, it’s that Florida is resilient. Our state and local communities come together in times of need and work incredibly hard to recover from these storms.

... as the 2023 hurricane season approaches, Americans continue to face the challenge of inflation and increased prices on everyday goods. That means every Florida family needs to be even more vigilant about making a plan and getting prepared ahead of time. We know how suddenly severe weather can develop and threaten our communities — it can happen at any moment. So, I am urging every family and business in Florida to get a plan and make a disaster preparedness kit today.

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As Floridians, we know better than anyone that preparedness saves lives. Even for those who have lived in Florida for decades, we can never become complacent or let our guard down.

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As I always say, you can rebuild your home, but you cannot rebuild your life.

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While families across our state prepare for the upcoming hurricane season, I’ll continue to work with our federal partners at FEMA, the National Hurricane Center and other federal agencies to make sure that we are ready to get needed resources and assistance to Floridians impacted by severe weather.

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Don’t wait to take action. Start getting prepared today.”

Read the full op-ed in the South Florida Sun Sentinel HERE.