Monday 3 October 2022 07:57 PM 'Where was your industry stationed when the storm hit?' DeSantis defends late ... trends now

Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is pushing back on questions over the delayed evacuation order for Lee County, a part of the Sunshine State that was particularly hard-hit by Hurricane Ian.

In a CNN clip shared by his 2022 campaign's rapid response Twitter account, a journalist asks the governor: 'Why do you stand behind Lee County’s decision to not have that mandatory evacuation until the day before the storm?'

'Well, did you - where was your industry when the storm hit? Were you guys in Lee County? No, you were in Tampa,' DeSantis countered. 

'They were following the weather track and they had to make decisions based on that.

Local and state officials have faced scrutiny after Lee County residents were put under evacuation orders last week just a day before the Category 4 hurricane made landfall, giving many Floridians little time to escape its path.

Sanibel Island, Fort Myers and Cape Coral are among the places where the devastation is most prominent - the only bridge connecting Sanibel Island to the mainland US collapsed during the storm, meaning rescuers are forced to frantically search for survivors by water and by air only.

DeSantis said on Saturday that Lee County was not initially projected to be in the hurricane's path.

'You know, 72 hours, they weren't even in the cone,' he said, referring to storm projections.