NOKOMIS -- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says Southwest Florida is bouncing back quickly from Hurricane Ian. A week after the storm, he tells a crowd in Nokomis, in Sarasota County, that state transportation crews have cleared more than five thousand miles of roadways, allowing businesses to reopen more quickly.
DeSantis says he's looking at using amphibious landing craft, such as those used by the Marines, to load up utility trucks and ferry them to Sanibel Island. "I don't want to do nothing for three weeks, or however long it's going to take, and then say 'okay, now you can start going'," DeSantis says.
Sanibel has been cut off since part of a causeway washed away during Ian.
The governor also says families displaced by the storm want their children back in school, and he's working to reopen classes in five Southwest Florida counties. DeSantis is offering "pods" for schools to use as portable buildings. Schools in Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, Hardee and DeSoto counties are still closed. Sarasota County is starting a phased reopening with north county schools Monday.
Governor DeSantis says PODS offering emergency supplies have closed in Sarasota County for lack of demand. He says FEMA will be opening two new disaster assistance centers, in Sarasota COunty at Suncoast Technical College in North Port, and in Fort Myers at the Fort Myers Department Management Services building at 2295 Victoria Avenue.
DeSantis also mentioned that the percentage of customers without power is below two percent in Florida. Sarasota County is around eight percent, but the governor says crews are moving quickly to restore service in south county.
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