Vice President Kamala Harris has issued a stark warning to businesses as people across Florida prepare for Hurricane Milton to make landfall.
"Let us all be clear: Americans impacted by a crisis should never be ripped off," Harris said in a statement. "I have seen firsthand the devastating impact of price gouging during an emergency."
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"Those evacuating before Hurricane Milton or recovering from Hurricane Helene should not be subject to illegal price gouging or fraud – at the pump, airport, or hotel counter," Harris continued."Any company or individual that tries to exploit Americans in an emergency should know that the Administration is monitoring for allegations of fraud and price gouging and will hold those taking advantage of the situation accountable."
Harris' warning comes as millions of people in Florida prepare for the wrath of Hurricane Milton, which is currently expected to make landfall sometime late Wednesday as a Category 3 or Category 4 storm. Originally expected to make landfall near Tampa, the storm’s trajectory made a dramatic shift overnight and is now forecast to hit south of Sarasota.
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"There is high confidence that this hurricane is going to pack a major, major punch and do an awful lot of damage," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a press conference Wednesday.
Areas near Sarasota are projected to get up to 15 feet of storm surge. In Tampa Bay, storm surge is anticipated to be up to 12 feet. Mandatory evacuations are in place up and down Florida’s Gulf Coast.
