As much of the U.S. deals with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Florida’s hurricane story is far from over as they now face a direct hit from Hurricane Milton this week.
As of Monday, October 8, at 11 a.m. ET, Hurricane Milton was located about 720 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, according to a press release on the Florida government website. Milton is forecast to move near or just north of the Yucatan Peninsula in the early half of the week, then cross the eastern Gulf of Mexico and approach the west coast of Florida by Wednesday.
Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 51 counties.
FenderBender connected with Ementi Coary, the executive director of the Florida Auto Body Association (FABA).
FABA has been making an increased effort across its social media platforms, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, to ensure its members are aware of the resources that the Collision Industry Foundation has to offer at this time.
Coary likened this hurricane season to that of 2017, which had Mira, Irma, and Harvey.
As Floridians evacuate further inland, it’s difficult for FABA to fully assess the broader needs that collision repairers will have across the state.
“All we can do is be there for the shops,” Coary said.
