Florida disaster chief quits as state recovers from hurricane
Drone video from Cudjoe Key, Upper Sugarloaf Key, Summerland Key and Sunshine Key show how some of the hardest his parts of the Florida Keys are fairing days after hurricane Irma made landfall. Rodney White, Michael Zamora/The Register
Hurricane Irma dealt Florida’s iconic crop a devastating blow, destroying nearly all the citrus in some groves and seriously damaging others. U.S. Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio visited groves in Lake Wales and heard from growers. (Sept. 13) AP
Aerial video shows the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on St. Thomas in the U.S Virgin Islands. (Sept. 12) AP
Drone footage provides a more broad view of the the damage Hurricane Irma inflicted on south Florida communities. USA TODAY
Aerial views filmed by British broadcaster Sky news on Monday revealed the extent of damage on the eastern Caribbean Island of Barbuda, after Hurricane Irma swept through it, leaving a trail of destruction. (Sept. 12) AP
Irma’s gale force winds kept the plane from landing in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. USA TODAY
Lorri Walters, of Clermont feels lucky that the mobile home she shares with her mom in the Emerald Lakes Mobile Village was not destroyed by Hurricane Irma. Kelly Jordan, USA TODAY
Drone footage shows the destruction left by Hurricane Irma in the Leawood Lakes and Cape Sable Lakes neighborhoods of Naples. Video by Rodney White and Michael Zamora. USA TODAY
Jacksonville, Florida, authorities are telling residents near the St. Johns river to leave quickly as floodwaters rise. (Sept. 11) AP
Talk about a close call! One man in Georgia was driving amidst Irma’s wind and rain when a tree started falling on the road in front of him! USA TODAY
Time-lapse video captured by the Associated Press shows the effects Hurricane Irma had on Miami Beach from Saturday to Monday. (Sept. 11) AP
Hurricane Irma veered slightly right, giving Tampa area officials less to worry about in terms of storm surge from the Gulf of Mexico, but causing slightly more storm damage inland in places like Polk County. (Sept. 11) AP
Although Miami was spared a big brunt of Hurricane Irma, mobile home residents here are not breathing a sigh of relief as they return to their now damaged or completely destroyed homes. Colette Luke has more. Video provided by Reuters Newslook
Daylight revealed the scope of destruction Hurricane Irma caused across Florida. Wochit
The full breadth of the damage from Hurricane Irma remains unclear, particularly in the hard-hit Keys, where communications and travel were still difficult. An aerial tour of Key Largo showed toppled buildings and damaged boats. (Sept. 11) AP
Flooded streets and ripped roofs can be seen above the Holiday Manor neighborhood in East Naples, Fla. Des Moines Register
An aerial view from a helicopter shows damage done to some homes in Key West, Florida, after Hurricane Irma made landfall just after 9 a.m. about 20 miles outside the island city. (Sept. 11) AP
Kelly McClenthen and boyfriend Daniel Harrison put on waders to enter her neighborhood in Bonita Springs after Irma, and they needed them. (Sept. 11) AP
Hurricane Irma took aim at heavily populated areas of central Florida on Monday as it carved a path of destruction through the state. Video provided by Reuters Newslook
Boats in a marina near Miami City Hall were severely damaged by Hurricane Irma. USA TODAY
Video shot in Boyton Beach, Florida, shows the transformer sparking as Hurricane Irma makes landfall in Florida. USA TODAY
A monster Hurricane Irma roared into Florida Sunday with 130 mph winds, flooding streets and knocking out power to more than 1.5 million homes. In Palm Bay, a tornado triggered by Irma’s approach destroyed a number of mobile homes. (Sept. 10) AP
Hurricane Irma pummels Florida Keys. Video provided by AFP Newslook
A crane atop a high-rise under construction in downtown Miami collapsed Sunday amid strong winds from Hurricane Irma. The crane collapsed in a bayfront area filled with hotels and high-rise condo and office buildings. (Sept. 10) AP
Hurricane Irma surges through the Florida Keys with damaging winds.
Wave of up to 36 feet smashed into Havana, Cuba, forcing residents to navigate the streets in boats in the wake of Hurricane Irma. Video provided by Reuters Newslook
Rescuers with the Martin County Sheriff’s Department pluck boaters from their vessel stranded among the outer bands of Hurricane Irma. Video provided by Reuters Newslook
Hurricane Irma caused massive damage as it pounded Cuba’s northern coast on Saturday with residents left reeling in the aftermath. Video provided by Reuters Newslook
As Hurricane Irma prepares to hit Florida, those on the Caribbean island of Anguilla are assessing the devastating effect the storm had on their island. Vanessa Croft Thompson, a teacher in Anguilla, says the storm brought mass destruction to the island. (Sept. 9) AP
Dutch military authorities rushed aid and assistance to the Caribbean island of St. Martin on Thursday after Hurricane Irma battered the region. (Sept. 8) AP
Drone footage shows widespread devastation on Tortola, the largest of the British Virgin Islands. (Sept. 8) AP
A man on the Caribbean island of Anguilla videos waves crashes through his house as Hurricane Irma devastates the island. (Sept. 9) AP
The Royal Netherlands Navy says Hurricane Irma caused ‘enormous damage’ to the Dutch side of Saint-Martin Island. Video provided by Reuters Newslook
The governor of the British Virgin Islands on Friday said he declared a state of emergency after Hurricane Irma left a string of Caribbean islands devastated. In a radio address, Gov. Gus Jaspert said he was “heartbroken” by the destruction. (Sept. 8) AP
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TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s disaster management chief announced his resignation Tuesday as the state continues to recover from one of the largest, most destructive hurricanes in decades.
State Division of Emergency Management Director Bryan Koon will officially leave his post Sunday, ending one of the longest agency chief tenures during Gov. Rick Scott’s two terms in office.
In a news release, Scott said Koon has planned to take a job in the private sector.
“Under Bryan’s leadership, Florida has been recognized as a national leader in emergency preparedness,” Scott said in a written statement. “Since day one, Bryan has done an excellent job ensuring our state is prepared and able to respond to countless weather events including Hurricanes Hermine, Matthew and Irma.”
Koon had initially announced plans to leave Sept. 1, but Scott asked him to stay on through the month, the statement said.
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Koon departs roughly three weeks after Hurricane Irma howled over the Florida Keys and Southwest Florida. The storm moved up the center of the state to the northeast, where it brought torrential rains that caused devastating flash floods. More than 13 million people were left without power in the first day after the storm.
As of Tuesday, the DEM blamed Irma for the deaths of 54 people. That total does not include the 11 elderly residents who died from health issues complicated by enduring high temps inside a Hollywood nursing home.
The state Division of Emergency Management is a branch of Scott’s office, and it serves as a liaison as cities attempt to get money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Overseeing the recovery effort in Koon’s place will be DEM Chief of Staff Wes Maul.
Maul was hired by the DEM in May 2016 after spending roughly three years as Scott’s traveling aide. He received a law degree from the University of Florida in 2013.
“As chief of staff at DEM, Wes has worked countless hours helping lead our state through Hurricanes Hermine, Matthew and now Irma,” Scott said. “Since earning his law degree at the University of Florida, Wes has devoted his life to serving the families of our state and I am confident in his ability to lead DEM as Interim Director as we continue to recover from Hurricane Irma.”
More: Amid deluge of hurricanes, Irma remains the #1 disaster in the Florida Keys
More: First post-Hurricane Irma cruise ship docks in Key West
Scott hired Koon in February 2011. At the time, Scott sought to place private sector veterans at the helm of the state’s executive agencies. His salary is $141,000, according to state records.
Scott had lured Koon from an emergency management position at Walmart. His role at the giant retailer included routing supplies to regions impacted by a wide variety of natural disasters, including hurricanes, earthquakes and volcanoes.
Prior to Walmart, Koon served as watch commander for the White House Emergency Operations Center. He could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Follow Arek Sarkissian on Twitter: @ArekSarkissian
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