2020 in Florida

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Decades:	2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	History of Florida Historical outline of Florida List of years in Florida 2020 in the United States

The following is a list of events of the year 2020 in Florida.

Incumbents

State government

• Governor: Ron DeSantis (R)

Events

• Ongoing – COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
• January 13 – The United States expels 21 Royal Saudi Air Force cadets. Amid an investigation into the Saudi Arabian military following the attack on Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, the cadets were found to have jihadist material and child pornography on their phones. However, none of the cadets are believed to have assisted the gunman in the attack.^[1]
• January 20 – A man is arrested for a series of 40 rapes in the Miami area in the 1980s.^[2]
• April 1 – Governor Ron DeSantis issues a stay-at-home order due to rising COVID-19 cases.^[3]
• April 20 – Miami Police disperses crowds who violated social distancing guidelines during David Guetta's coronavirus relief concert in the city.^[4]
• May 15 – A United States Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighter crashes outside of Eglin Air Force Base, the pilot safely ejects.^[5]
• May 27 – The May 24 arrest of a 23-year-old man in Tampa is announced by federal prosecutors. He had allegedly been planning a mass shooting at Honeymoon Island State Park in support of ISIS.^[6]
• June 14 – Florida reports two consecutive days of 2,000-plus new COVID-19 cases as more counties reopen their beaches. Miami's mayor says this information does not include data from Memorial Day weekend and the George Floyd protests.^[7]
• June 15 – Black Lives Matter activist Oluwatoyin Salau is found dead in Tallahassee, after going missing on June 6. Shortly before her disappearance, Salau tweeted that she had been sexually assaulted by a black man. Her death was treated as a homicide.^{[8][needs update]}
• September 11 – It is announced that bars in South Florida counties such as Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County will remain closed. However, bars in the rest of the state will be allowed to reopen at a 50% capacity.^[9]
• September 13 – Hurricane Sally approaches from the Gulf of Mexico with sustained winds of 50 mph (80 km/h). Flood watches are issued for Florida's west coast, including Tampa.^[10]
• September 16 – Part of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Pensacola collapses due to a crane falling on it during Hurricane Sally's approach.^[11]
• September 27 – Black Swan manslaughter case^[12]
• October 28 – The National Weather Service issues storm surge warnings from the mouth of the Atchafalaya River, Louisiana, to Navarre, Florida.^[13]
• November 3 – 2020 Florida Amendment 1 is held and passes. The amendment changes the state constitution to make citizenship a requirement to vote in the state of Florida.

See also

• 2020 in the United States

References

1. "US expels 21 Saudi military cadets after gun attack". BBC News. January 13, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
2. "Suspected 'Pillowcase Rapist' who terrorized South Florida women in early 1980s arrested". Miami Herald. January 20, 2020.
3. "Florida governor issues stay-at-home order after weeks of resistance". NBC News. April 1, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
4. "David Guetta Raises Huge Money for COVID-19 Relief With Miami Rooftop Show". Billboard. Associated Press. April 20, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
5. Pickrell, Ryan. "A US Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighter crashed just outside Eglin Air Force Base in Florida". Business Insider. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
6. "Man accused of plotting mass shooting in Tampa Bay area, charged with trying to help ISIS". wtsp.com. May 27, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
7. "Florida sees 2 consecutive days of 2,000-plus new COVID-19 cases as more beaches reopen". ABC News. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
8. Burnside, Scottie Andrew,Tina (June 15, 2020). "Black Lives Matter activist found dead one week after she went missing in Florida". CNN. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
9. "Bars will stay closed in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties". Sun Sentinel. September 11, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
10. Brink, Allison Chinchar,Haley (September 13, 2020). "Tropical Storm Sally expected to make landfall as a hurricane near New Orleans". CNN. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
11. Blanks, Ryan W. Miller and Annie. "Hurricane Sally updates: At least 1 dead amid 'catastrophic flooding' in Alabama, Florida; Pensacola bridge, Gulf Shores pier sustain damage". USA TODAY. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
12. Breen, Kerry (July 30, 2024). "In "Black Swan murder" trial, former ballerina Ashley Benefield found guilty of manslaughter in husband's shooting death - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
13. "Tropical Storm Leslie Public Advisory". www.nhc.noaa.gov. Retrieved October 11, 2024.