Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says Hurricane Idalia brought down a 100-year-old oak next to the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee.

The governor said at a news conference Wednesday that the huge oak split in half and toppled right next to the mansion that serves as a home for the governor and his family. Florida first lady Casey DeSantis posted a photo of the hulking tree, covered in ivy and hanging moss, split in two. One half of the tree appears to have come to rest beside one of the mansion’s wings.

Casey DeSantis says that she was home with their three children but that no one was injured. She says their prayers are with everyone affected by the storm.

The governor says that if they cut down the whole tree, there will be more room for his kids to hit baseballs.

About the Author

Keep Reading

FILE - In this May 16, 2013, file photo, a utility pole stands in the middle of a marsh at sunset on Sapelo Island, Ga., a Gullah-Geechee community. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

Credit: AP

Featured

“Our members cannot be bought off,” General President Sean O’Brien said in a social media statement, calling UPS' offers “illegal and haphazard.” (Hyosub Shin/AJC 2023)

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC