Oak Tree Falls On Florida Governor’s Mansion

A 100-year-old oak tree fell on the Florida governor’s mansion in Tallahassee after Hurricane Idalia made landfall this week.

“100 year old oak tree falls on the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee — Mason, Madison, Mamie and I were home at the time, but thankfully no one was injured. Our prayers are with everyone impacted by the storm,” said Casey DeSantis.

100 year old oak tree falls on the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee — Mason, Madison, Mamie and I were home at the time, but thankfully no one was injured.

Our prayers are with everyone impacted by the storm. pic.twitter.com/l6MOE8wNMC

— Casey DeSantis (@CaseyDeSantis) August 30, 2023

CBS News reports:

The original mansion, which is just blocks from the Florida State Capitol, was built in 1907 and then rebuilt in 1955 after it had become structurally unsound. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and was designed by Palm Beach architect Sims Wyeth in a Greek Revival style.

The governor, who is also a GOP candidate for president, moved into the mansion with his family when he was elected to the office in 2019. DeSantis has been giving regular news conferences from Tallahassee during the storm, and said he had been informed about the tree’s collapse.

By midday Wednesday, the eye of the storm had moved on from Florida to Georgia, but the storm’s bands were still impacting the state, particularly in the north, and flooding was expected to worsen as the tide rose Wednesday afternoon. Thousands of people were without power.

People in 28 Florida counties were either ordered or recommended to evacuate ahead of Idalia, primarily along the Gulf Coast in areas at the highest risk of extreme floods from the storm.

The storm made landfall as a Category 3 Wednesday morning at Keaton Beach in the Big Bend area — the region where the Florida peninsula meets the panhandle. Keaton Beach is about 90 minutes from Tallahassee.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis commented about the fallen tree at a press conference.

WATCH:

NEW: Ron DeSantis reacts to 100 year-old oak tree falling on Governor’s Mansion while his family was home

“If they do cut down the whole tree, that’s just gonna be more room for my kids to hit baseballs in.” pic.twitter.com/DWaHXz5JgN

— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) August 30, 2023

DeSantis spoke with Fox News host Sean Hannity about the response efforts to Hurricane Idalia.

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