In today’s Quickcast:
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday declared a state of emergency in 41 of the state’s 67 counties and Attorney General Ashley Moody activated the state’s Price Gouging Hotline in those areas because of a storm that could hit the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Helene.
Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties are not included in decisions by the governor and attorney general. Charlotte, Collier and Lee counties in Southwest Florida are part of the orders.
Potential Tropical Storm Nine will develop into Helene later this week with landfall forecast along the Florida Panhandle, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm is in the Caribbean a few hundred miles from Grand Cayman and the western tip of Cuba with maximum sustained winds of 30 mph.
Other affected counties are Alachua, Bay, Bradford, Calhoun, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Monroe, Okaloosa, Pasco, Pinellas, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Wakulla, Walton and Washington counties.
The governor’s order included activating the Florida National Guard as needed and emergency response teams.
Moody’s price gouging order affects the declared counties.
"To help Floridians prepare for this event, we are activating the price gouging hotline to accept reports of extreme price increases on essential commodities," she said. "As the system approaches, I’m urging Floridians to finalize their storm prep, monitor weather reports and follow the guidance of local authorities. Stay Safe, Florida."
During a storm-related declared state of emergency, state law prohibits excessive increases in the price of essential commodities, including equipment, food, gasoline, hotel rooms, ice, lumber and water.
Anyone who suspects price gouging can report it to the Florida Attorney General’s Office by visiting MyFloridaLegal.com or calling (866) 9NO-SCAM.
Catch the Quickcast with Najahe Sherman weekdays at 4PM ET streaming on the CBS Miami app and CBSMiami.com
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