Devastating floods in Florida are spotlighting climate change denier Governor Ron DeSantis. With the help of several Republican allies in the state legislature, the long-time Florida resident was able to remove the phrase “climate change” from future government initiatives in the state.
Last month, DeSantis made massive steps in his fight to deny and ignore the changing climate and sea levels slowly strangling the residents of his state. Now, deprioritizing climate change seems like a reckless position, as many cities are underwater.
Critics Say That DeSantis’ Decision Defied Logic
DeSantis has faced many critics during his tenure as Governor. Recently, he’s been facing a backlash against Democrats, climate-conscious activist groups, and climate scientists, who all say he’s lost the mark.
Now, devastating floods washing over Florida is a harsh reminder that it was wrong to dismiss the reality of global warming in a state on the front lines of climate-related disasters.
DeSantis Removed “Climate Change” From Florida Law
Earlier this month, DeSantis made an aggressive decision to remove the phrase “climate change” from the state legislature and future laws.
The sweeping rule also banned the use of windmill farms off-shore and increased the usage of fossil fuel energy sources. Although 90% of Floridians believe that climate change is real, the governer signed three bills to ensure that the state “rejected the agenda of radical green zealots.”
The Governor Turned down Hundreds of Millions in Funding for Water Projects
The Florida Democratic Party took the issue with current flooding in the state to point out that DeSantis recently signed a budget that cancelled more than $200 million in funding to benefit stormwater, wastewater, and sewer water projects.
On social media, the Florida Democratic Party posted: “Flood warnings are in effect for more than 8 million Floridians and Ron just vetoed funding for stormwater projects to reserve money for a rainy day. Ron, it’s raining.”
Crucial Infrastructure Projects Could Have Alleviated the Situation
Florida state Sen. Shevrin Jones came out this week as one of DeSantis’ loudest critics. He claims that the impact of flooding and other climate-related disasters will be felt the most by vulnerable communities that lack proper infrastructure.
He wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) “Florida refuses to acknowledge ‘climate change,’ despite streets turning into rivers and @GovRonDeSantis vetoing crucial infrastructure projects in vulnerable communities.”
Flash Floods in In-Land Communities Very Common
Flood waters have affected Miami and West Palm Beach. Following a series of flash floods, many communities are completely submerged in water.
The southern tip of Florida is most at risk due to the area being surrounded by water on three sides. As ocean levels continue to rise steadily, coastal regions will begin to experience heightened weather disasters and inland locations will become increasingly bogged down with groundwater and floods.
Residents Stuck in Airports and Homes Evacuated
With more than two feet of torrential rain pounding the area, thousands of residents have been evacuated from their homes, roads have been shut down, and all flights in and out of the area have been cancelled.
The total level of precipitation has reached higher than 25 inches in Collier County, 20 inches in North Miami, 19 inches in Hollywood, 13 inches in Miami Beach and 12 inches at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
State of Emergency Declared in Florida
Gov. DeSantis declared a state of emergency for Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade and Sarasota counties yesterday while flood levels continued to rise.
Although residents have been warned to stay off the roads, many people have been forced to walk through waist-high waters to reach safety.
Cities Overwhelmed Without Proper Resources
With the increased number of weather disasters in the state and the lack of necessary funding and resources, the state has had to call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission to assist with recovery efforts.
Boats and buggies will be deployed in flooded streets to rescue residents trapped in their homes by flood waters.
Florida Lawmaker Lost His Home to Flooding Last Year
Elijah Manley, a Florida Democrat who lost his home to flooding last year, wrote about the state’s issues on social media.
“It’s a good thing Florida’s lawmakers are tacking bold action to combat climate change and sea level rising instead of culture wars and bigotry innit,” he wrote on X taking out his frustration on Florida leaders while also making a clear point that climate change is undeniable.
Trump Previously Claimed That Rising Sea Levels Will Increase Beachfront Property
Earlier this week, former President Donald Trump claimed that rising sea levels would simply result in more beachfront property.
DeSantis, a supporter of Trump echoes the same sentiments by denying climate change on a legislative level, avoiding the use of clean energy, and denying much needed services during emergencies in vulnerable communities.
Florida Will Continue To Sink
Rising sea level temperatures mean that the Gulf Coast will experience its worst hurricane season on record this year.
Coastal regions surrounding Florida and Louisiana will get battered this summer. Flooded land already saturated with water will be unable to absorb the extra moisture from extreme tropical storms.
