Florida's attorney general activates price gouging hotline ahead of Gulf storm Invest 97L
Attorney General Ashley Moody on Thursday announced that Florida’s "Price Gouging Hotline" is live after Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 54 of 67 counties – or 80 percent of the state.
The moves comes as a tropical wave, now designated as Invest 97L, could develop over the next week and head to the Sunshine State. If it develops, it could become Tropical Storm Debby, the fourth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.
A press release from Moody's office said "price gouging laws are now in effect for the counties covered by the state of emergency: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton and Washington counties."
Florida’s price gouging law applies to items and services essential to getting ready for, or recovering from, a storm within the areas of a declared state of emergency, the press release explained. That may include generators, food, gasoline, hotel rooms, ice, lumber and water.
"Violators of the price gouging statute are subject to civil penalties of $1,000 per violation and up to a total of $25,000 for multiple violations committed in a single 24-hour period," the release said.
“Invest 97L is expected to bring heavy rain and powerful winds to much of the state," Moody said in a statement. "To help Floridians prepare for this event, we are activating the price gouging hotline to accept reports of extreme price increases on essential commodities. As the system approaches, I’m urging Floridians to finalize their storm preparations, monitor weather reports and follow the guidance of local authorities.”
For more information
? Anyone who suspects price gouging can report it to the Florida Attorney General’s Office by visiting MyFloridaLegal.com or calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM.
? For more information on price gouging, read a PDF copy of "Attorney General Moody’s Scams at a Glance: Price Gouging" handout, online here, and in Spanish, here.
? Moody recently released a 2024 Hurricane Preparedness Guide. The guide contains information on tropical systems, preparedness checklists and tips for avoiding storm-related scams before, during and after a weather event.
Brandon Girod of the Pensacola News Journal contributed. News Director Jim Rosica can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X: @JimRosicaFL.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida price gouging hotline activated as Gulf storm 97L approaches
