Ron DeSantis’ handling of the hurricane this week showed why he’s a darling of conservatives and the donor class — but also exposes his vulnerabilities.

DeSantis’ work ahead of the storm and during the relief efforts highlighted his command of the bureaucracy and ability to communicate complicated instructions to the masses in simple terms.

But it also foreshadowed potential fodder for his rivals, including scrutiny of Florida’s affordability problems.

Over the weekend and into this week, DeSantis temporarily left the campaign trail and canceled donor events to oversee his administration’s response to the hurricane, which made landfall as a Category 3 storm but didn’t cause massive damage on par with other recent natural disasters. At multiple press conferences, he laid out clear instructions about how Floridians could stay safe and receive help, while also urging vulnerable residents to evacuate some areas.

“This definitely helps him. Yesterday, there was nothing else on the news but this thing,” said Dave Carney, a veteran Republican strategist based in New Hampshire. “Is this going to reset his campaign? No. But it will give him an opportunity to have something to talk about that was a success.”

“I’m sure nobody wishes to have a hurricane so they can polish their credibility, but he did well. He did as expected.”

DeSantis was in a similar situation of juggling a campaign and a natural disaster when he ran for reelection in 2022. After DeSantis managed that crisis, he boasted about his quick work restoring bridges while crisscrossing Florida.

DeSantis’ campaign on Thursday highlighted the swift actions the administration took in getting Floridians’ power restored, in clearing roads and deploying generators. “He is personally ensuring that Florida is serving the needs of those impacted,” DeSantis campaign communications director Andrew Romeo said in an email to reporters.

At multiple press conferences, DeSantis laid out clear instructions about how Floridians could stay safe and receive help.