The Republican senator from Florida Rick Scott assured this Wednesday that he spoke with President Donald Trump about Tropical Storm Isaias and stated that the federal government will support the state during the preparation, response, and recovery phases related to the cyclone.
"I just spoke with @POTUS about Tropical Storm Isaías. The federal government will be there for Florida and make sure we have everything we need to prepare, respond, and recover," Scott wrote in a post on X.
The senator did not specify in that message what specific resources could be mobilized nor announced a new federal emergency declaration, but his statement implies a signal of direct coordination with the White House as the threat from Isaias increases over northern and northwest sectors of Florida.
Florida is already preparing for Isaías
The conversation between Scott and Trump takes place after Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 25 counties in Florida, primarily in the Panhandle and northern part of the state, to facilitate the early mobilization of resources.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported in its intermediate advisory at 1:00 p.m. CDT that NOAA hurricane hunters found Isaías strengthening, with sustained maximum winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 997 millibars.
The agency maintains the forecast that Isaías will become a hurricane on Thursday as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico toward the U.S. coast.
The NHC has already issued hurricane and storm surge watches for areas along the northern Gulf coast, including regions of Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama.
Isaías could also become the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season, following an exceptionally late season in reaching that category.
Scott, who represents Florida in the United States Senate, did not specify whether the conversation with Trump would lead to additional announcements in the coming hours. State and federal authorities continue to monitor the evolution of the system as it approaches the northern Gulf coast.
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