Today, U.S. Senator Rick Scott hosted a press conference on hurricane preparedness at Dewey Destin’s Seafood Restaurant in Destin, Fla. as part of his annual Hurricane Preparedness Tour across Florida ahead of the 2026 hurricane season. Joining Senator Scott at the event were U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis, representatives of the Red Cross, and local public officials to discuss the importance of preparation, emergency response coordination, and ensuring Florida families have the resources they need to stay safe this hurricane season.
Senator Rick Scott said, “Hurricane Season is almost here, and the time to prepare is today—not tomorrow, not next week. It only takes one storm, and having your disaster plans set and preparedness kits stocked will save lives. Remember, if you’re not prepared, there’s nothing law enforcement or the fire department can do for you in the middle of the storm. They can’t come get you. Everyone needs to take this seriously and prepare now. I am asking every Florida family to get ready, be alert, and help your neighbors. You can rebuild homes, but you can’t rebuild your life.”
Florida families should visit www.rickscott.senate.gov/hurricane-preparedness to make a preparedness plan and find helpful resources to keep their families safe.
On the federal level, Senator Scott continues to work to help Floridians prepare for and recover from any potential weather events.
Last month, Sen. Scott’s bipartisan Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act unanimously passed the House and Sen. Scott is leading the way to get the legislation passed in the Senate. The bill provides families with critical certainty and long-overdue tax relief after natural disasters, ensuring victims can access relief quickly so they can focus on rebuilding their lives.
Last Congress, Senator Scott secured passage of his Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act to provide tax relief to communities across Florida affected by disasters, including Hurricanes Helene, Debby, Milton, Ian, Nicole, Fiona, and Idalia, as well as his FISHES Act to support Florida’s fisheries recovering from storms by improving the federal regulatory processes for fishery disaster relief and expediting these funds.
DESTIN, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – This Wednesday morning, Senator Rick Scott was in Destin continuing his annual Hurricane Preparedness Tour within the Sunshine State.
The press conference was held at 10:15 a.m. at Dewey Destin’s Seafood Restaurant.
According to a press release from the senator’s office prior to the press conference, “Senator Scott will highlight the importance of being prepared ahead of hurricane season, highlight local resources in and around Destin, and share best practices to help Florida families stay safe during a hurricane.”
Among the senator, attending officials include, Dewey Destin, Owner of Dewey Destin’s Seafood Restaurant, Parker Destin, Owner of Dewey Destin’s Seafood Restaurant & Okaloosa School Board Member, Congressman Jimmy Patronis, US House of Representatives, Mayor Bobby Wagner, Mayor of Destin, Sheriff Eric Aden, Okaloosa County Sheriff, Patrick Maddox, Okaloosa County Director of Public Safety, Chief Kevin Sasser, Destin Fire Chief, Commissioner Paul Mixon, Okaloosa County Commissioner, Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel, Okaloosa County Commissioner, Commissioner Sherri Cox, Okaloosa County Commissioner. Commissioner Trey Goodwin, Okaloosa County Commissioner, and Ryan Prince, Emergency Management Chief at Okaloosa County.
Sen. Rick Scott To Floridians Ahead Of 2026 Storms: ‘Get Ready Today—Not Tomorrow’
MIKE JENKINS
Updated Thu, May 28, 2026 at 11:33 AM CDT
Hurricane (Unsplash)
U.S. Senator Rick Scott stopped at Dewey Destin’s Seafood Restaurant today to host a hurricane preparedness press conference, marking the second stop of his annual statewide tour ahead of the 2026 hurricane season.
U.S. Representative Jimmy Patronis, representatives from the American Red Cross, and local public officials joined Scott to outline emergency response coordination and emphasize the necessity of early family preparation.
“Hurricane Season is almost here, and the time to prepare is today—not tomorrow, not next week,” Scott said during the press conference. “It only takes one storm, and having your disaster plans set and preparedness kits stocked will save lives. Remember, if you’re not prepared, there’s nothing law enforcement or the fire department can do for you in the middle of the storm. They can’t come get you. Everyone needs to take this seriously and prepare now. I am asking every Florida family to get ready, be alert, and help your neighbors. You can rebuild homes, but you can’t rebuild your life.”
The event highlighted resources available to the public, including the legislative disaster planning tools hosted on the senator’s official website.
At the federal level, the press conference touched on recent legislative efforts aimed at disaster recovery. Last month, the bipartisan Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act passed the House unanimously. Scott is currently managing the bill’s push through the Senate. The legislation is designed to provide tax relief to families following natural disasters to accelerate the rebuilding process.
This follows legislation passed during the previous congressional session, where Scott secured the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act to assist Florida communities impacted by Hurricanes Helene, Debby, Milton, Ian, Nicole, Fiona, and Idalia. He also previously secured passage of the FISHES Act, which alters federal regulatory processes to expedite disaster relief funds for Florida’s commercial fisheries.
READ: Florida Braces For Early Tropical Twist Just Days Before Hurricane Season Kickoff
