“So Starlink has been a game changer,” the CFO of Florida Jimmy Patronis, told Teslarati in a recent interview. Patronis was in a vehicle during our conversation visiting the areas in Florida impacted by Hurricane Milton. He had just left a part of Florida that was ravaged by at least 30 tornadoes during the hurricane. 

“I think it had a lot of use. I bought the Starlink. I built a harness on the back of our car and we were traveling down the road with the Starlink. And I was doing TV interviews, going down the highway at 60 miles an hour and the communication was really impressive,” the CFO of Florida added.

Preparing for Hurricane Milton with Starlink

My interview with Patronis was ironic and interesting, to say the least. While he was in the car traveling to people affected by Milton, I was on the other side of the world, preparing for Typhoon Kristine, the third storm that would hit my home over the last 3-4 months. 

I know how important communication lines are during a hurricane. In some cases, it is your only lifeline, and Patronis was well aware of that.

“My own personal experience, I went ahead and decided to buy a Starlink the week before Hurricane Milton made landfall,” Patronis told me. 

“When a storm hits, being able to facilitate phone calls, content sharing, interviews, reports, it’s critical. People want to know what is happening. But unless you have dependable communication, it’s very difficult to do that. And we found Starlink to be invaluable when it came to providing those up-to-date communications for our first responders, for our state of operations…” he elaborated. 

The internet was our only connection to the rest of the world when the first hurricane hit our house and flooded the streets of our neighborhood and our car. The second time, the water reached about 7 feet high and flooded our car and house. My family in New Jersey were on the phone talking to me as I hurried up the stairs with stuff, trying to beat the rising water rushing into our yard—and eventually into our house. 

From my experience, floods are the worst part of hurricanes—and the scariest. I knew we were in trouble when we saw our neighbors asking for rescue through the HOA Facebook group. In the Philippines, people often call for help through social media posts during hurricanes, so the internet is critical. 

First responders often use the internet or cellular lines to see if anyone needs help. It was no different during Hurricane Milton in Florida. 

“So my office also coordinates all urban search and rescue where our first responders are on the field literally minutes after the storm has made landfall. They depend on Starlink. They will have Starlink out in the field with them. This is how they’re communicating, which homes they have visited, if there’s any need for any other assistance, equipment, help, you name it. If they just need more urban rescue first responders to show up,” Patronis told me. 

Starlink delivering Peace of Mind after Hurricane Milton

The CFO of Florida and everyone in his office has been working non-stop, preparing for Hurricane Milton’s arrival and now helping people get their lives back together. He told me of one couple in their 70s who had recently married and moved into a new home just six days before Milton made landfall.

Unfortunately, a tornado dropped a dumpster on top of their house. Despite the situation they found themselves in, Patronis told me that the couple were not deterred by the damage caused by Hurricane Milton. They didn’t let Milton take away their happiness and were eager to rebuild. 

Rebuilding is probably the hardest thing to do after a hurricane but is unavoidable and necessary. After the second hurricane flooded our home and car, my husband and I immediately acted. We got our car to a mechanic and the cleaners—again. We fortified our gates so less water would enter our lot. The one thing we should have done but didn’t do was prepare to be cut off from the world. 

As I said earlier, during the interview with Patronis, Typhoon Kristine was entering the Philippines. The internet connection was already spotty as I talked to him. At one point, our call was abruptly dropped because I lost internet connection. I should have known then that we were in for a rough ride. 

A day after my interview with Patronis, Typhoon Kristine’s relentless rain over the Philippines caused the river near our neighborhood to overflow for the third time. The water rose fast; within 20 minutes, it was waist-high from street level. Luckily, our reinforced gates held fast. However, our internet and cellular connection were so bad we couldn’t contact our families or get any updates about the typhoon. 

The most terrifying thing about a hurricane is being unable to communicate during or after it. It fills you with dread, and fear, and unfathomable thoughts. Information is a crucial part of natural disasters to stop the fear, focus on something else, and get through it. Otherwise, it feels endless.

Starlink provided people in Florida with information during and after Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene. Something I wish I had during Hurricane Kristine.

“So you know we’re very committed to using cellular, but in some cases, the Starlink has been a provider of information that…it’s been priceless.

“We were also able to—with the help of T-Mobile—get the FCC to open up a full-blown texting in Florida via satellite and Starlink,” Patronis told me. 

Are you rebuilding after Hurricane Milton?

I understand that rebuilding after a hurricane can be difficult. Patronis told me about predators that have been coercing people to sign over their insurance benefits while they try to rebuild their lives and move forward. 

The CFO of Florida’s office handles insurance fraud cases and also helps people with their insurance claims. You may seek help by calling 1877-My-FL-CFO or visiting PrepareFL.com. 

The best thing you can do after going through a calamity is to ask for help.

What’s your experience with Starlink Cellular? Please share them with me through maria@teslarati.com

If you have any tips, contact me at maria@teslarati.com or via X @Writer_0100110.