Opinion | Florida Is at Sea Level. Its Leaders Still Weren’t Ready for a Flood.
Republicans run every lever of Florida government. On the eve of an election, the state’s coast went underwater, cities ran the rescues, and the governor said nothing until late Monday afternoon, when he finally declared an emergency and left out Palm Beach County. This wasn’t bad luck. It was a choice, made one budget and one bill at a time.
Up to 22 Inches of Rain on Election Eve. DeSantis Finally Declared an Emergency Minutes Before We Published, and Left Out Palm Beach.
Between 16 and 22 inches of rain fell on Palm Bay and West Melbourne. Water filled homes in Riviera Beach. Local governments declared emergencies and ran the rescues. About nine hours after the Flash Flood Emergency began, Gov. Ron DeSantis finally declared a state of emergency for seven counties. Palm Beach County, which asked, wasn’t one of them.