Having been sworn into office the day before, on Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis inspected Mexico Beach and other parts of the Panhandle which were hit by Hurricane Michael back in October.
Along with state CFO Jimmy Patronis, Florida Director of Emergency Management Jared Moscowitz and First Lady Casey DeSantis, the new governor inspected the area and met with community leaders.
“It is easy to see why people would want to visit these beautiful beach communities and they will return more vibrant than ever,” said DeSantis.
First appointed by then Gov. Rick Scott to the post in 2017, Patronis started his first full term as state CFO this week. Based out of Bay County, which he used to represent in the Florida House, Patronis offered his take on the damage to his home area.
“It was an honor to have Governor Ron DeSantis today in Bay County to talk about and see the impacts of Hurricane Michael,” Patronis said on Wednesday afternoon. “Tomorrow will mark three months since the storm first made landfall, devastating communities in the Florida Panhandle. While we still have work to do, our state has come a long way since the storm passed and I want to make sure the world knows we are open for business.”