Gov. Scott pushing for rapid recovery in Keys
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott wants the Florida Keys “open for business” by Oct. 1, even while up to 10,000 people may have lost their Keys homes.
“So many people make money off of tips and things like that, so we’ve got to figure out how we get our tourists back as quickly as we can,” Scott said Monday during an interview on U.S. 1 Radio 104.1 FM, a station based in the Lower Keys. “My goal is that by the first of October, we’re open for business. And we’re going to do everything we can to help the locals to do that.”
Only residents and relief workers are being allowed into parts of the Keys more than a week after Hurricane Irma swept through the state, first making landfall Sept. 10 up the chain of islands from Key West.
Electricity is still being restored. Boil-water notices remain in place where water is available.
Issues including the availability of hotel rooms, and temporary housing must still be addressed as up to 10,000 people may have lost their homes in the Keys, Scott said.
But the Keys are a large part of the draw to Florida’s $100 billion a year tourism industry, which accounted for 1.4 million jobs last year.
“Florida is the Keys,” Scott said. “When people think about Florida, the first thing they think about is the beautiful Florida Keys and the wonderful people in the Florida Keys. And I want all of them back in their homes as soon as we can. And also, back in their jobs. But we all know we have to do this safely.”
Three shelters remain open in the Keys.
The Florida Department of Transportation has removed debris from U.S. 1 and completed bridge inspections.
Schools are expected to start reopening next week.
Scott had earlier said that the Florida Highway Patrol is escorting relief supplies, including food to supermarkets; the Florida National Guard has stationed 270 personnel for food and water distribution in the Keys; and the Salvation Army has served more than 13,000 hot meals from a staging area in Marathon.
Restrictions remain on operations at the Port of Key West — closed since Sept. 8.
“Our goal is to fully open the Port of Key West for all navigational needs as soon as possible, but we first have an obligation to ensure safety of the port and vessels in order to protect all marine and maritime interests,” Capt. Jeffrey Janszen, commander of Coast Guard Sector Key West, said in a prepared statement.
Scott has made four trips to the Keys, including a flyover on Sept. 11, a day after Hurricane Irma made its first landfall in Florida at Cudjoe Key — less than 30 miles northeast of Key West.