As Hurricane Helene barrels toward Florida, intensifying to a dangerous Category 4 storm, Governor Ron DeSantis made the choice to attend a prayer breakfast instead of leading the state through an urgent crisis. On September 25, just a day before the hurricane’s expected landfall, DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis addressed the Central Florida Leadership Prayer Breakfast, highlighting their administration’s commitment to faith, family, and the success of the Hope Florida initiative.
But while the governor focused on faith-based solutions, Floridians need something much more immediate: decisive action and leadership in the face of an unfolding natural disaster. No amount of prayer will protect homes from storm surges or solve the growing threat of climate change.
Governor DeSantis praised faith-based institutions for their role in supporting Floridians and emphasized the achievements of Hope Florida, a program designed to connect people in need with the faith community. But as he championed these long-term efforts, Hurricane Helene was on a path to wreak havoc across the state’s Big Bend region. Floridians are bracing for catastrophic storm surges, powerful winds, and widespread flooding—issues that need real-time government coordination, not religious platitudes.
Faith undoubtedly plays an important role in many lives, but it is no substitute for leadership in times of crisis. The governor’s decision to focus on a prayer breakfast while a major hurricane approached underscores a troubling disconnect from the immediate realities facing his state. Florida is in desperate need of on-the-ground action: evacuation coordination, emergency resource allocation, and clear leadership to guide residents through the storm. Helene is expected to bring devastating impacts to Florida’s coast, but DeSantis seemed more intent on offering hope than taking the necessary steps to protect lives and property.
This isn’t the first time Governor DeSantis has prioritized ideology over immediate action, but in the case of Hurricane Helene, it’s especially concerning. While his Hope Florida initiative may be a long-term effort to reduce reliance on government assistance, Floridians facing the destructive force of a hurricane don’t have the luxury of waiting for hope. Storm preparation, evacuation orders, and emergency response plans require attention right now—not after the storm has passed. The timing of this prayer breakfast sends the wrong message: when the state needs a leader, DeSantis seems to be offering thoughts and prayers instead.
The juxtaposition couldn’t be more stark. As Helene approaches, threatening 20-foot storm surges and life-threatening winds, the governor is focused on faith-based programs aimed at reducing long-term dependency on government assistance. This may work in the abstract, but hurricanes require immediate, concrete responses. Floridians are scrambling to secure their homes, evacuate, and prepare for power outages that could last days or weeks. Where is their governor? And why isn’t he leading the charge in preparing for a disaster that is no longer just on the horizon, but at their doorstep?
What’s worse, DeSantis’s focus on faith completely ignores the root cause of the increasing intensity and frequency of storms like Helene: climate change. While the governor prays, Florida’s coastlines are disappearing under rising seas, and storms are growing more powerful. Climate change isn’t going to be solved by prayer, and DeSantis’s refusal to take meaningful action on this front will only put more Floridians in harm’s way. As storms grow more intense, Florida’s vulnerable coastal communities will continue to face greater risks—and no amount of faith-based support will reverse the damage if we don’t confront the climate crisis head-on.
Floridians are not just dealing with another hurricane—they’re facing the consequences of a changing climate that DeSantis has consistently downplayed. As Helene bears down on the state, Floridians deserve leadership that addresses the underlying causes of these increasingly destructive storms. Prayer may offer comfort to some, but it doesn’t stop hurricanes, reduce carbon emissions, or protect the state from the rising sea levels that will make future storms even worse.
The time for hoping and praying is over. What Floridians need now is clear, immediate action from their leaders—action that addresses both the immediate threat of Hurricane Helene and the long-term dangers posed by climate change.
Governor DeSantis’s presence at a prayer breakfast while his state faces catastrophe is a clear reminder that hope alone won’t save lives in a hurricane, and it certainly won’t solve the larger climate crisis bearing down on Florida. It’s time for less hope and more action.
