Florida's Latest News

October 14th, 2026 

Here's your roundup of the important stories shaping Florida this week. Stay informed — and share with someone to keep them updated!

Lauren Melo outlines her plan for Florida Senate

Lauren Melo is one of two candidates running for the open Senate seat in District 28.

No stranger to politics, the conservative Republican is running against a first-time Democratic candidate, David Silverberg.

In November, voters will choose one or the other to replace Sen. Kathleen Passidomo. After serving in the Florida Senate since 2016, she's reached her term limit this year.

Passidomo, R-Naples, served longer than the eight-year limit because of redistricting. She became the third woman elected Senate President.

District 28 covers all of Collier and Hendry counties, along with eastern parts of Lee County.

HUD secretary visits Tampa Bay, outlines efforts to help younger Americans buy home

As rising housing costs continue to put homeownership out of reach for many Americans, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner visited Palm Harbor on Tuesday to discuss the Trump administration's efforts to make buying a home more attainable, particularly for younger Americans.

Turner joined Republican U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna at a D.R. Horton development for a roundtable with real estate professionals, homebuilders, and young residents of Florida's 13th Congressional District.

The discussion included first-time buyers who had recently purchased homes and others still struggling to enter the housing market. Representatives from D.R. Horton also discussed their approach to building more affordable homes.

The Panhandle continues to recover from Isaias as more deaths are reported

Florida’s western Panhandle is still recovering four days after Hurricane Isaias swept through the area as a Category 2 storm.

Nearly 54,000 homes and businesses remained without electricity Tuesday afternoon and state and local emergency personnel were still working to clear smaller local roads and remove debris from residential areas.

About 450,000 residences and businesses were without power after the initial surge from Isaias, and 16,000 linemen have helped to reconnect them. Most of the remaining customers without power are in Escambia (23,380) and Santa Rosa (24,240) counties.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday said that while some areas hardest hit by Isaias, including in Santa Rosa County, aren’t able to safely receive power, all areas able to be reconnected to the grid should be done by the end of the day.

How will El Niño impact Florida winter? See forecasts, threats

Thanks to El Niño, it's been a quiet 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, although Florida was still hit by a hurricane.

Hurricane Isaias made landfall Oct. 9 near Destin as a Category 2 storm, with 105-mph winds.

El Niño, which is expected to reach "historic" levels is continuing to strengthen and there is an 83% chance of a strong to very strong El Niño for January through March 2027, according to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center.

What's that mean for Florida's winter months?

Plan for a cool, wet winter with fewer freezes but an increased threat for severe storms and tornadoes.