The threat of Hurricane Matthew has mostly subsided in Florida. While flood and wind damage have ravaged parts of the coast, especially in Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Daytona Beach, most experts and officials seem to agree that the storm was not as bad as it could have been.
All evacuation orders have ended, airports and sea docks have been re-opened, and the National Guard has been relieved. Governor Rick Scott has been actively visiting affected areas and ensuring that aid is distributed where needed.
However, some are now criticizing the dire warnings, among which was the claim that “this storm will kill you” that Scott made when he ordered evacuations for 1.5 million residents along the coast more than a week ago.
“It was a little over the top,” said State Senator Audrey Gibson (D-Jacksonville).
Many Orlando residents outside of the evacuation zone prepared for the storm by buying up supplies of electrical generators and water at local stores. Water technology exports are worth an annual $2.7 billion, and most stores could barely keep up with demand.
Even Walt Disney World closed its theme parks in anticipation of the storm, for just the fourth time in the attraction’s history. The park will re-open this weekend.
In the end, however, the Category 4 hurricane did not break landfall, as meteorologists suggested it could. It did, however, cause power outages for more than one million customers and widespread flooding in certain areas. At least five people in Florida have been confirmed dead from effects of the storm, and damages are expected to be more severe in parts of coastal Georgia and North Carolina.
Governor Scott said he does not regret issuing his warnings or evacuation orders, even if they appear excessive in retrospect.
“I worried the whole time that even though the track was off our coast that it would turn and have a direct hit at some point,” he told reporters in Jacksonville. “Are people going to take this seriously enough?”
