PERRY, Florida, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Cleanup and recovery from Hurricane Idalia began on Thursday along Florida's Gulf Coast, where property damage, loss of life and power disruptions paled in comparison to the last major hurricane that struck the state nearly a year ago.
"The bad news type calls we were accustomed to during Ian, those were not happening during this storm," DeSantis said at a late-afternoon news conference on Wednesday.
Florida Highway Patrol reported that two motorists had died in separate rain-related crashes early Wednesday before Idalia made landfall.
Reuters Graphics[1/3]A vehicle is seen in a canal after the arrival of Hurricane Idalia in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, U.S., August 30, 2023.
The same region, featuring a marshy coast and threaded with freshwater springs and rivers, was devastated by a major hurricane in 1896.
Persons:
Hurricane Idalia, Idalia, Ron DeSantis, Perry, Ian, DeSantis, Cheney Orr, Jared Perdue, Casey DeSantis, Maria Alejandra Cardona, Marco Bello, Joey Roulette, Rich McKay, Brendan O'Brien, Brad Brooks, Kanishka Singh, Jeff Mason, Nandita Bose, Steve Gorman, Michael Perry
Organizations:
Hurricane, National Guard, UBS, Florida Highway Patrol, Reuters, REUTERS, HIT, state's Transportation Department, Reuters Graphics Reuters, National Hurricane Center, NHC, Thomson
Locations:
PERRY, Florida, Gulf Coast, Keaton, Florida's Big Bend, Taylor, Hernando counties, St . Petersburg, Georgia, Horseshoe Beach , Florida, U.S, Florida's, Big Bend, Gulf, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Bend, Hillsborough County, Tampa, Gulf of Mexico, Cuba, South Carolina, North Carolina, Steinhatchee , Florida, Cedar Key , Florida, Tampa , Florida, Atlanta, Chicago, Longmont , Colorado, Washington