Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency today in Florida as part of the relief efforts for those who have left Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.
Scott issued the executive order for the 67 counties to help accommodate people who have moved to the state in the face of devastation on the Island.
“It is critical that our state is prepared to provide the resources they need to live in our state,” Scott said in a statement.
Some lawmakers have foreseen that the crisis would cause hundreds of thousands of puertoricans to relocate to Florida.
Scott reported that countless families have already relocated and many more are expected.
The executive order allows for the suspension of state laws, rules and orders that could be linked to the emergency, and designates Wesley Maul, Acting Executive Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, as the coordinator of the state’s crisis response.
