TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — Ron DeSantis provided an update on the effects of Hurricane Helene around Florida during a stop in St. Petersburg on Friday.
Pinellas County residents will receive an estimate on power restoration around 7 p.m. on Friday, a Duke Energy spokesperson said.
Officials are asking residents to go ahead and separate their debris for pick-up— i.e. sheetrock, construction materials, and appliances.
They encourage people to take photos and apply for FEMA, and to do it now. The maximum reward is roughly around $70,000 and the average payout is between $5,000 to $7,000.
"It's not easy to go through this," DeSantis said. "There's always going to be a light at the end of the tunnel."
The governor was joined by Kevin Guthrie, the Florida Division of Emergency Management Director, and Jared Perdue, the Florida Department of Transportation Secretary to discuss the storm.
"This is not going to make you whole," Guthrie said.
The HOPE Florida line is currently active for the next two weeks for help after the storm and can be reached at 1-833-438-4357. FEMA applications can also be made on their website.
Two fatalities have already been reported due to the storm— one on a roadway and the other from a fallen tree.
Search and rescue efforts have begun and will continue throughout the state of Florida.
"From Hernando to Lee, FWC has 145 local officers that are responding, an additional 15-man airboat team that are coming over to the west coast of Florida from Titusville," DeSantis said. "They will also have a 16-man Florida State Guard team with them, and they are headed currently to Pinellas County."
As of 6 a.m., 1.24 million accounts are without power in Florida., but restoration efforts are underway, as 1.16 million accounts have already been restored since the storm began.
Over 2,000 miles of roadways have been cleared since 3 a.m. 129 bridge inspectors have also been dispatched.
If traffic signals are out in your area, treat the lights at the intersections like you would a stop sign.
"I want to thank our first responders, sheriff's office, and fire crews," DeSantis said.
As of Friday morning, 54 healthcare facilities are on generator power across five state hospitals, 26 lefts, and 17 nursing homes.
Guthrie said after 48 hours, a "secure and stabilize" will become active after initial search and rescue efforts in the first 24 hours.
"Please do not go out and visit the impacted areas. I beg you," Guthrie said. "We literally have over 1500 search and rescue personnel in the highly impacted areas right now. Do not get in their way."
Perdue stressed the importance of not driving on roads that are still submerged in water. He also added that crews are working to clear debris from the roadways and inspect bridges and those damages.
For regional traffic updates, visit FL511.com.
Additional resources for Hurricane Helene can be accessed at FloridaDisaster.org.
WFLA is live streaming the press conference, which can be viewed in the video player above.