Georgia Gov. Kemp working with Florida’s DeSantis to help with Hurricane Milton response

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said Georgia is preparing for evacuees and that he had called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ahead of Hurricane Milton.

The remarks came during a campaign event in Macon for Noah Harbuck, Republican candidate for Georgia state House District 145. Hurricane Milton, which is set to strike Florida as a category 4 storm Wednesday night, loomed large over the event.

Kemp said he called DeSantis two days earlier to talk about the incoming hurricane and sent a National Guard Emergency Management Assistance Compact team to Florida to help with response and recovery.

“I just told him that if there’s things we can do in the aftermath of the storm to let us know,” Kemp said.

Georgia is also making preparations for evacuees fleeing Hurricane Milton, Kemp said. Several campgrounds and state parks have opened up to evacuees, and local governments across the state are working with the American Red Cross to open shelters.

Kemp said hotels across the state are already full, and he is using the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to tell evacuees looking for hotels to keep going north.

Georgia still recovering from Helene

The governor also addressed ongoing efforts in Georgia to recover after Hurricane Helene, which devastated parts of south and east Georgia nearly two weeks ago. While conditions have improved, many buildings are still damaged and places are without power.

“We’re still focused on the cleanup, still got people without power,” Kemp said. “We’re going to be there as long as we need to, we’ve got a lot to do.”

Georgia Power has repaired more than 8,000 damaged transmission lines, Kemp said, and is working on ways to help people and communities rebuild.

“I know people are tired of these storms, but we just have to persevere during these times,” Kemp said.

This story was originally published October 9, 2024 at 3:07 PM.