Horowitz: The hurricane hoax being used to peddle climate fascism



To have an average number of hurricanes during hurricane season is now deemed a cataclysmic consequence of the myth of man-made global warming climate change. In the latest display of our fact-free political discourse, the fact that we have had fewer hurricanes over the past half-century now equals more hurricanes and is the result of your favorite SUV. Verifiable data points simply don’t matter any more, but that should not stop us from publicizing them to debunk the new religion of ScienceTM.

After the media failed to find a way to criticize Governor DeSantis’ highly competent response to Hurricane Ian, they sought to blame conservatives in general for the existence of hurricanes. From day one, they sought to groom an entire generation of youngsters into believing that the landfall of a major hurricane in the tropics during hurricane season was somehow abnormal and portended an ominous trend that will kill us, unless of course we pay the ransom to Agenda 2030. This culminated with Biden’s press conference in Lee County, Florida, on Wednesday, where he said, "The one thing that has finally ended is the discussion about whether or not there is climate change."

Well, he is right that the weather is always changing. However, now they would have you believe that the first devastating hurricane in Florida really since Andrew in 1992 somehow portends a trend, when in fact no such trend exists, much less proof that humans cause hurricanes. Unlike other theories about anthropogenic global warming that rely on complicated and unverifiable theories, there are a finite number of hurricanes each year, and it’s quite easy to count their total numbers, the number that hit the U.S., and their intensity.

Even the global-warming-crazed NOAA put out a statement noting the obvious: “After adjusting for a likely under-count of hurricanes in the pre-satellite era,” wrote NOAA in a special statement last week on global warming and hurricanes, “there is essentially no long-term trend in hurricane counts. The evidence for an upward trend is even weaker if we look at U.S. landfalling hurricanes, which even show a slight negative trend beginning from 1900 or from the late 1800s.” In fact, the agency goes on to predict a 25% decrease in the overall number of Atlantic hurricanes and tropical storms based on its ever-trusty computer models, which undoubtedly, will then lead to the world blaming “climate change” for the lack of hurricanes.

Well, there are certainly more hurricanes making landfall, right? I mean, we hear about them in the news. Not at all. Despite the fact that south Florida is precariously sticking down into hurricane alley, Ian was only the sixth major hurricane to hit south Florida since 1965. As meteorologist Joe Bastardi observes, there were 16 hits south of Tampa/Cape Canaveral during the previous 50 years.

\u201cSince 1965 this will be the sixth major hurricane to hit the Florida peninsula south of a Cape Canaveral to Tampa line The 50 years previous to 1965 there were 16\u201d
— Joe Bastardi (@Joe Bastardi) 1664320035

Indeed, as our hearts go out to the residents of southwest Florida, Floridians have actually largely escaped danger over the past few decades, especially in the southeast part of the state, which has essentially not had a major catastrophic blow since 1992.

In 2020, Forbes published data from the past 50 years of global landfalls of tropical cyclones of hurricane strength, based on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale use by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As anyone who looks at the chart can see plainly, “There are a lot of ups and downs in the data, but no obvious trends.”

Well, what about the intensity? All that human global warming must be juicing up the rapid intensification of these storms, right? Wrong again! Meteorologist student Chris Martz put together data from 1980 showing there is absolutely no trend other than the trend of news coverage.

\u201cLet's set the record straight:\n\n\u2022 Global hurricane occurrence has \u2b07\ufe0f slightly since 1980. NO trend in landfalls (Weinkle et al. 2012, updated)\n\n\u2022 NO trend in global ACE since 1980.\n\n\u2022 NO significant \u2b06\ufe0f 30-kt rapid intensification events (Klotzbach et al., 2021, SI attachment).\u201d
— Chris Martz (@Chris Martz) 1664643743

Martz also gathered the list of all 15 Cat 4/5 hurricanes that have hit Florida, quite a verifiable data point. Spot the trend?

\u201cAs a simple fact-check, I accessed the NOAA HURDAT database and tabulated all 15 hurricanes to landfall in Florida as a C4 or 5. In the sample, 10 occurred at or before 1960, five of which made landfall between 1945 and 1950. Those saying it's the \u201cnew norm\u201d are full of crap.\u201d
— Chris Martz (@Chris Martz) 1664424808

And overall, hurricanes are actually hitting the U.S. coasts less frequently in recent decades.

\u201cSince 1851, there has been no significant trend in the number of U.S. landfalling major hurricanes by decade. But, what I guarantee you didn't know is that since the 1930s and 1940s, major landfalls have \ud835\uddf1\ud835\uddf2\ud835\uddf0\ud835\uddff\ud835\uddf2\ud835\uddee\ud835\ude00\ud835\uddf2\ud835\uddf1 by more than 35%.\u201d
— Chris Martz (@Chris Martz) 1664770884

Well, surely the hurricanes must be forming earlier, giving them greater momentum? Nope.

\u201cThere is absolutely no evidence that hurricanes are forming earlier today than they did 100 years ago. Why peddle misinformation?\u201d
— Chris Martz (@Chris Martz) 1664828043

What about tornadoes? Not that either.

\u201cU.S. EF1-EF5 tornado counts by year since 1954. There hasn't been an EF5 in over 9 years, the longest stretch on record. No overall trend in tornado counts.\u201d
— Chris Martz (@Chris Martz) 1664807948

OK, these events have always gone on since the dawn of time, but aren’t hurricanes becoming more intense? Didn’t the Washington Post tell us that “climate change is rapidly fueling super hurricanes”? The New York Times warns that this is particularly a problem with Atlantic hurricanes. Again, even the NOAA admits that claim is a hoax:

“After adjusting for changes in observing capabilities (limited ship observations) in the pre-satellite era, there is no significant long-term trend (since the 1880s) in the proportion of hurricanes that become major hurricanes.” Which is why the NOAA paper concludes “that the historical Atlantic hurricane data at this stage do not provide compelling evidence for a substantial greenhouse warming-induced century-scale increase in: frequency of tropical storms, hurricanes, or major hurricanes, or in the proportion of hurricanes that become major.”

Part of how the media is able to get away with the hurricane hoax is because the devastation from hurricanes making landfall is worse today, thanks to the buildup along our coastline of expensive edifices that weren’t there in previous generations. While the U.S. population has grown 4.4-fold since 1900, the Florida coastal population has grown by a factor of 68!

\u201cThe Expanding Bull\u2019s-Eye Effect: When discussing hurricane damages, we\u2019ve got to account the increasing number of people living by the coast.\n\nRead more in my peer-reviewed article: https://t.co/CC0h7JKIKv\u201d
— Bjorn Lomborg (@Bjorn Lomborg) 1664797514

We can debate the policies surrounding coastal buildup and flood insurance, but it’s clear the devastation created by hurricanes has nothing to do with us raising cows for beef or driving SUVs. Simply put, the more humans there are on the earth and the more infrastructure built, the more costly any natural disaster will grow over time.

The global elites understand that most people have a short attention span. They use world catastrophes while they have a captive audience to create the illusion of scientific trends and try to retroactively implant them in people’s minds as if they were scientifically inevitable because of some human behavior they don’t like. Facts simply don’t matter.

In the irony of all ironies, Gov. DeSantis was criticized by the media for not focusing on a Ft. Myers-based evacuation when the computer models had the bull’s-eye headed farther north just a day earlier. So with a hurricane 12 hours away, the fancy computer models couldn’t predict exactly where it would land and who needed to evacuate. Yet somehow, they can predict with certainty the global average temperatures and weather phenomena for 100 years and know the exact cause and course of action needed, too.

Sadly, as we face the same inevitable baseline of natural disasters we always did, with no ability to stop them, the climate fascists will strip us of the energy resources that make it possible for people to better live through droughts, heat, cold, and storms and leave us with energy sources that are dangerous and vulnerable during times of peril.

\u201cThere\u2019s a ton of EVs disabled from Ian. As those batteries corrode, fires start. That\u2019s a new challenge that our firefighters haven\u2019t faced before. At least on this kind of scale. #HurricaneIan\u201d
— Jimmy Patronis (@Jimmy Patronis) 1665071533

'That's a new challenge our firefighters haven't faced before': Florida fire marshal warns that corrosion in EVs after Hurricane Ian could spark dangerous fires



According to one expert, electric cars left abandoned during Hurricane Ian could lead to dangerous fires.

When batteries contained in electric vehicles become corroded and cause a short, they can spark a fire. During Hurricane Ian, which pummeled the state of Florida for several days last week, many cars, both electric and gas-powered, were abandoned as drivers left the area through alternative transportation or fled to higher ground. Those EVs sitting in water for extended periods of time are susceptible to corrosion, and thus, spontaneous combustion.

On Thursday, the state fire marshal Jimmy Patronis tweeted out a warning to EV owners and unsuspecting bystanders:

"There’s a ton of EVs disabled from Ian. As those batteries corrode, fires start. That’s a new challenge that our firefighters haven’t faced before. At least on this kind of scale. #HurricaneIan."

Patronis also included a video of several firefighters expending perhaps hundreds or even thousands of gallons of water to extinguish a fire that had broken out in one EV.

\u201cThere\u2019s a ton of EVs disabled from Ian. As those batteries corrode, fires start. That\u2019s a new challenge that our firefighters haven\u2019t faced before. At least on this kind of scale. #HurricaneIan\u201d
— Jimmy Patronis (@Jimmy Patronis) 1665071533

An unidentified woman, perhaps the person filming, can be heard providing some context to the scene, though some of what she says is difficult to decipher. At one point, she seems to claim that "1,500 gallons" of water had already used on that particular vehicle, and yet the fire was "still going." If she is right, then fires caused by corroded EV batteries could deplete precious water resources that are also needed elsewhere. However, no other sources have confirmed her estimate.

Though EV fires caused by corroded batteries do not appear to be widespread currently, the threat remains real. Local public media outlet WUSF reported back in February that Florida is the state with the second-highest number of EVs. As of June 2021, it had 58,000.

The Biden administration has likewise encouraged EVs, offering a $7,500 tax credit to those Americans who make the transition to EVs from cars with the traditional internal combustion engine. And a new California regulation will ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in the state by 2035. Seventeen other states have also passed some form of "low-emission" or "zero-emission" standards similar to California's, though Florida is not among them.

It is unclear whether the batteries within gas-powered vehicles, which are much smaller in size, pose a threat for corrosion and fire.

'You loot, we shoot': Ron DeSantis delivers unflinching warning to criminals after looters caught stealing in devastating Hurricane Ian aftermath: 'Don't even think about looting'



Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a stern warning to would-be criminals thinking about taking advantage of the chaos left by Hurricane Ian: "Don't even think about looting."

Hurricane Ian obliterated areas of southwest Florida this week – leaving a trail of death and destruction. The current death toll is at least 45 people, but that number is expected to rise as search-and-rescue teams access areas that have been isolated from the devastating effects of the Category 4 hurricane.

Hurricane Ian made landfall near the island of Cayo Costa with winds of 155 mph – just 2 mph short of a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Only three other hurricanes that hit Florida were stronger: Labor Day Hurricane (1935): 185 mph, Hurricane Andrew (1992): 165 mph, and Hurricane Michael (2018): 160 mph.

The monster storm reduced the coastal areas to rubbish and tossed yachts like toys.

However, some Floridians have used the dire situation to loot businesses.

On Friday, the Lee County Sheriff's Office posted photos on social media of five individuals being arrested for looting.

"Sheriff Carmine Marceno means business and has taken a zero tolerance stance on looting. We are patrolling and you will be arrested if you partake in criminal activity," the sheriff's office declared in a Facebook post.

DeSantis delivered an unflinching warning to anyone contemplating looting in the aftermath of the apocalyptic hurricane.

"They boarded up all the businesses, and there are people that wrote on their plywood, ‘you loot, we shoot,'" DeSantis said during a press conference near Fort Myers in southwest Florida. "At the end of the day, we are not going to allow lawlessness to take advantage of this situation. We are a law-and-order state, and this is a law-and-order community, so do not think that you’re going to go take advantage of people who've suffered misfortune."

Later in the day, DeSantis doubled down on his law-and-order tone during a press conference in St. Augustine – in the northeastern part of the state.

"The other thing we’re concerned about, particularly in those areas that were really hard hit, is we want to make sure we’re maintaining law and order," DeSantis said. "Don’t even think about looting. Don’t even think about taking advantage of people in this vulnerable situation."

"I can tell you, in the state of Florida, you never know what may be lurking behind somebody’s home,” DeSantis said. “I would not want to chance that if I were you, given that we're a Second Amendment state."

\u201cFlorida is a law and order state. \n\nLooting and lawlessness will not be tolerated.\u201d
— Ron DeSantis (@Ron DeSantis) 1664629223

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody reiterated that looting would not be tolerated.

"Florida will not tolerate looters taking advantage of Hurricane Ian to prey on vulnerable Floridians," Moody wrote on Twitter. "They will be arrested and I have asked state attorneys to seek the longest pretrial detention possible to keep them locked up so they cannot commit new crimes."

\u201cFlorida will not tolerate looters taking advantage of #HurricaneIan to prey on vulnerable Floridians. They will be arrested and I have asked state attorneys to seek the longest pretrial detention possible to keep them locked up so they cannot commit new crimes.\u201d
— AG Ashley Moody (@AG Ashley Moody) 1664569668

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno warned, "Don’t do it in this county. Don't make that mistake. Because one thing we do have is vacancy at the jail. And I guarantee you if you try to prey on one of our great residents, you will find yourself in that jail."

Lee County Manager Roger Dejarlais proclaimed, "To be sure, and I feel safe relaying this in on behalf of law enforcement, there's going to be a zero-tolerance policy for looting and violence in this town."

The badly battered Lee County announced a 6 p.m. curfew until further notice.

Videos emerge of brave men reportedly rescuing others caught in Hurricane Ian



Amid videos of powerful winds, torrential rain, and disastrous flooding caused by Hurricane Ian, several videos have also emerged showing brave men who risked their own safety to rescue others caught in the storm.

For example, Fox News reported on a group of "Good Samaritans" who aided an elderly man trapped in his vehicle in Bonita Springs, Florida.

"We saw an elderly man struggling in his car," said one man identified only as Benny, "and we knew he needed help."

When Benny and others, possibly affiliated with the group the Collier County Cowboys, reached the man's car, however, the realized that the door was wedged shut and the driver himself was too much "in shock," Benny said, to help himself escape.

"The guys all maintained to grab the door and pry it open," Benny continued. "[The man] was a bit in shock, so he didn’t want to let go. So we assured him we were there to help him."

Several men then carried the man through waist-high water to safety, while another man appeared to collect some of the man's personal effects from the car.

The Instagram account @colliercountycowboys_ shared a video of the daring rescue:


The name of the man whom they rescued is not known.

Another woman in nearby Bonita Beach allegedly filmed a video of her boyfriend, whose name appears to be Michael, rescuing a cat which was either a stray or had been abandoned by or otherwise separated from its owner.

"My boyfriend saving a cat from flood waters near Bonita Beach. #HurricaneIan #Naples #Bonita #FortMyers," tweeted user Megan Cruz Scavo.


\u201cMy boyfriend saving a cat from flood waters near Bonita Beach. #HurricaneIan #Naples #Bonita #FortMyers\u201d
— Megan Cruz Scavo (@Megan Cruz Scavo) 1664381514

The tweet has nearly 200,000 likes, while the video itself has racked up over 3.5 million views.

There are also several videos of first responders helping others caught in Hurricane Ian. In one video, a member of the Naples Fire-Rescue Department used an axe to pull an unidentified woman out of her car, which was trapped in the flood.


"Please let this be a lesson to stay off the roads when flooding is possible," a Facebook message accompanying the video reads in part.

Members of the National Guard have likewise performed "dozens" of rescues since Hurricane Ian hit, according to Fox News.

Ian downgraded to tropical storm, though 'life-threatening catastrophic flooding' will continue



Early this morning, the National Hurricane Center downgraded Ian from a hurricane to a tropical storm. Although now regarded as a weaker force, the phenomenon is still expected to produce strong wings, heavy rains, and storm surge in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.

As of 8 a.m. on September 29, the storm was moving northeastward at 8 mph, with maximum sustained winds at 65 mph. It is presently headed toward Orlando.

The NHC noted this morning that coastal water levels continue to subside along Florida's west coast, although the danger remains of a "life-threatening storm surge" Thursday through Friday along the coasts of northeast Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

The NHC indicated that tropical storm-force winds will likely spread northward across the aforementioned areas through Friday. Furthermore, "life-threatening catastrophic flooding" will continue today across central Florida.

Significant flooding will also occur in the state's northern portion, southeastern Georgia, and eastern South Carolina.

Record hurricane, catastrophic damage

Ian, reportedly the fourth-strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in Florida, continues to trail a wake of ruination. It has left over 2.5 million in the dark. Hundreds are feared dead.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno told "Good Morning America" on Thursday, "I definitely know the fatalities are in the hundreds," indicating that there are also thousands of people waiting to be rescued.

The Category 4 hurricane slammed southwestern Florida on Wednesday with 150 mph winds and a powerful storm surge.

The storm's center came ashore roughly 100 miles south of Tampa, which was last directly hit by a hurricane in 1921.

Extreme Debris Filled Winds, Placida, Florida - Hurricane Ian - 9/28/2022 youtu.be

Fierce winds transformed debris into potentially lethal projectiles, while the surge towered over previous heights, flooding massive swaths of land and carrying away entire homes.

In Fort Myers, the storm surge was 5.8 feet, 2.44 feet higher than in 2001 with Hurricane Gabrielle. The surge on Fort Myers Beach was strong enough to sweep away the Lee County sheriff's office temporary outreach center trailer.

Elsewhere along the southwest Florida coastline, from Englewood to Bonita Beach, the surge was reportedly 8 to 10 feet above ground level, accompanied by "destructive waves."

The lower-level emergency room was flooded in the Fawcett Memorial Hospital in Port Charlotte, Florida, while winds reportedly peeled back the roof on its intensive care unit. Footage captured by Christopher Shannon shows some of the damage. He noted that the storm "clobbered" the area.

\u201cInundaci\u00f3n en el Hospital HCA Florida Fawcett en Port Charlotte por el paso del Hurac\u00e1n Ian. \n\n#MoluscoNews \n#ElMolu\ud83c\udfa7 \n\n(\ud83c\udfa5 Christopher Shannon - FB)\u201d
— Molusco (@Molusco) 1664446175

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) noted that some people remain in high-risk evacuation zones. Their calls have been logged, and there will be a response, he noted, although first responders will wait for the storm to move enough for rescue efforts to proceed safely.

\u201cHurricane Ian left a path of destruction in southwest Florida, trapping people in homes, flooding streets and buildings, and knocking out power across the region.\n\nThe storm is one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the United States. https://t.co/RuksxwL7f8\u201d
— The Associated Press (@The Associated Press) 1664452380

According to Collier County officials, the roads in Naples, Florida, are impassable due to high water and tides.

\u201cInsane video shows just how deep the water is in Naples, Florida from #HurricaneIan. \n\nThe Naples Fire Rescue crew grabbing their gear as flash flooding submerged ambulances and firetrucks in feet of water.\u201d
— FOX Weather (@FOX Weather) 1664398814

While their own facility has been thoroughly flooded, Naples Fire-Rescue nevertheless continues to aid those in desperate need of help.

Parts of Kissimmee, south of Orlando, similarly saw major flooding last night.

\u201cHoly cow. Major flooding in Kissimmee. @WFTV #Ian\u201d
— Nick Papantonis WFTV (@Nick Papantonis WFTV) 1664435606

Extra to lives, homes, and memories lost in the floods and winds, the economic cost of the damage may also be significant. The estimated reconstruction cost will be $258.3 billion. The insurance industry stands to lose between $20 billion and $40 billion.

'We got to do what we got to do': Journalist uses condom to protect microphone during Hurricane Ian broadcast



One local NBC journalist made waves on social media during her coverage of Hurricane Ian because of a practical measure she took to protect the network's broadcasting equipment.

On Tuesday, while NBC2 news reporter Kyla Galer was out covering the hurricane on location in Fort Myers along the southwestern coast of Florida, viewers noticed that her microphone was covered with something, ostensibly to protect it from rain and moisture from the storm.

Shortly after, people began inquiring about the makeshift microphone cover, ABC7 news anchor Jeff Butera confessed the truth: It was a condom.

"** WE PRACTICE SAFE HURRICANE REPORTING ** Yes, it's a condom," Butera tweeted on Wednesday. "Nothing better to waterproof a microphone. My Waterman Broadcasting colleague @kylagaler has been fielding lots of questions, haha. Moment of levity in this nasty storm... #HurricaneIan."


\u201c** WE PRACTICE SAFE HURRICANE REPORTING ** \n\nYes, it's a condom.\nNothing better to waterproof a microphone.\n\nMy Waterman Broadcasting colleague @kylagaler has been fielding lots of questions, haha. \n\nMoment of levity in this nasty storm... \n#HurricaneIan\u201d
— Jeff Butera (@Jeff Butera) 1664379011

Galer likewise confirmed the reporting via Instagram Story, which Hard Factor News then shared on Twitter.

**Warning: potential graphic content**

\u201cFlorida reporter defends putting condom on mic during Hurricane Ian broadcast\u201d
— HARD FACTOR (@HARD FACTOR) 1664397513

"A lot of people are asking what is on my microphone. It is what you think it is," Galer told her Instagram audience. "It’s a condom. It helps protect the gear. You can’t get these mics wet. There’s a lot of wind and a lot of rain, so we got to do what we got to do and that is put a condom on the microphone."

Galer and her colleagues were smart to take the extra precaution. Ian, currently a Category 4 but nearing a Category 5 hurricane, has reportedly come barreling through the Florida coast with winds over 150 MPH and storm surges of up to a record 18 feet. The City of Fort Myers was under evacuation orders, but officials say that it is now no longer safe to leave.

As of mid-afternoon on Wednesday, 450,000 Floridians had already lost power, and police, fire fighters, and other first responders are preparing for significant structural damage.

Governor Ron DeSantis (R) warned that Wednesday and Thursday would "be a nasty nasty ... two days" for the people of Florida.

Ian made landfall at 2:24 p.m. EST on Wednesday.

Storm severity index reaches CODE RED for Hurricane Ian: Waffle House locations are closing



An unofficial indicator of storm severity has gone CODE RED as Hurricane Ian barrels into southwest Florida at Category 4 strength.

At least 21 Waffle House locations in Florida have closed, the restaurant chain's public relations chief told news outlets Wednesday morning, representing the serious danger of catastrophic weather conditions Floridians face.

For the uninitiated, Waffle House is a popular food franchise with locations in 25 states, mostly in the South. The restaurant serves waffles, obviously, as well as hashbrowns and other diner fare cooked to order in an open kitchen in view of the customers. It's best known for being an all-night eatery, open 24 hours, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

So when Waffle House is closed, it's a big deal. Such a big deal that former Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Craig Fugate coined the term "Waffle House Index" to evaluate the effect of a storm and the need for disaster preparedness.

\u201cY\u2019all @WaffleHouse is closed this is not a drill\u2026. #justfloridathings #HurricaneIan\u201d
— Justin Hobbs (@Justin Hobbs) 1664316563

The index has three levels based on the extent of operations and services offered by Waffle House during inclement weather. GREEN means the restaurant has power and is offering a full menu. YELLOW means there is a limited menu and no power or only power from a generator, with food supplies running low. RED means the restaurant is closed, which indicates severe storm damage or dangerous flooding.

On Wednesday morning, more than a dozen locations were closed from Naples stretching north along the Gulf of Mexico coastline to Bradenton in Manatee County, USA Today reported.

"We do have closures in mandatory evacuation zones and areas within low-lying areas that are subject to severe flooding," Waffle House Vice President of Public Relations Njeri Boss said Wednesday morning.

Boss said the restaurant is working with local governments and emergency responders to evaluate whether to close Waffle House locations.

"We constantly track storms during hurricane season, following their progress when there is an indication they might make landfall or deliver significant storm conditions," she told USA Today.

FEMA also uses Waffle House operations, as well as companies like Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowe's to measure disaster recovery.

"Businesses in communities are often some of the biggest drivers of recovery. If stores can open, people can go back to work. If people can go back to work, they can return to at least one piece of a normal life — and that little piece of normalcy can make a big difference," FEMA wrote in a 2017 blog post.

"If a store like a Home Depot or a Lowe’s or your local hardware store can open, that means people can get the supplies they need in order to rebuild, to clean up the muck and progress along the path to recovery," the agency said.

Closed Waffle House restaurants mean Florida should brace for a devastating storm. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced at 1:54 p.m. that Hurricane Ian was making landfall and that the state was ready to respond.

"We have fleets of highwater vehicles, 42,000 linemen, 7,000 National Guardsmen and 179 aircraft prepared to help," the governor tweeted.

Images shared on social media show that flooding has begun in Ft. Myers, where storm surges are predicted to reach up to 16 feet along the coast.

\u201cImages capture flooding in Ft. Myers, Florida, as Hurricane Ian bears down on the state as a powerful Category 4 storm. https://t.co/OgCURVn1Qb\u201d
— ABC News (@ABC News) 1664389212

More than 450,000 Florida customers have already lost power.

As menacing storm approaches Florida, Rachel Vindman tweets, 'We should use they/them pronouns for hurricane Ian to annoy DeSantis'



As Hurricane Ian chugs toward Florida with the potential to wreak havoc when it plows through the state, Rachel Vindman, the wife of Alexander S. Vindman, issued a tweet jokingly suggesting that people should refer to the storm using "they/them pronouns" in a bid to irritate GOP Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

"We should use they/them pronouns for hurricane Ian to annoy DeSantis," Rachel Vindman tweeted on Tuesday morning. "I appreciate the danger of this storm which only serves to underscore the point that electing leaders who only divert their attention away from destroying systems [in order to score political points] to emergencies, isn’t helpful when there is a true crisis," she added in another tweet.

In another post, Vindman, who is a co-host of "The Suburban Women Problem" podcast, said that her tweet was "not a hurricane joke," but "a DeSantis joke because DeSantis is a joke."

\u201cI appreciate the danger of this storm which only serves to underscore the point that electing leaders who only divert their attention away from destroying systems [in order to score political points] to emergencies, isn\u2019t helpful when there is a true crisis.\u201d
— Rachel Vindman \ud83c\udf3b (@Rachel Vindman \ud83c\udf3b) 1664280251

DeSantis, who took office in 2019, is currently running for reelection during the state's 2022 gubernatorial contest.

The hurricane could inflict serious damage in the Sunshine State. The National Hurricane Center has warned that "Life-Threatening Storm Surge, Catastrophic Winds and Flooding [are] Expected in the Florida Peninsula."

\u201cHurricane #Ian Advisory 19A: Life-Threatening Storm Surge, Catastrophic Winds and Flooding Expected in the Florida Peninsula. https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB\u201d
— National Hurricane Center (@National Hurricane Center) 1664322844

"Ahead of #HurricaneIan, 5,000 Florida Guardsmen have been activated and pre-positioned at armories across the state to serve Floridians and run response operations. Thank you for your service to our state," a tweet on DeSantis' @GovRonDeSantis Twitter account notes.

\u201cAhead of #HurricaneIan, 5,000 Florida Guardsmen have been activated and pre-positioned at armories across the state to serve Floridians and run response operations. Thank you for your service to our state.\n \nFollow @FLSERT for updates on how to prepare for #Ian.\u201d
— Ron DeSantis (@Ron DeSantis) 1664321410

Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) mentioned the hurricane on Tuesday while saying that Democrats need to win during the midterms. "We just did something about climate change for the first time in decades. That's why we've gotta win this, as that hurricane bears down on Florida, we gotta win in the midterms," Klobuchar said during an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

Sen. Klobuchar: We Will Get Electoral Reform Bill Out Of Committee youtu.be