About 40 members of the West Virginia National Guard will go to Florida to assist with response to Hurricane Milton, according to a news release from Gov. Jim Justice.
Ten to 12 airmen from the 130th Airlift Wing in Charleston will deploy to help with potential search and rescue operations. About 30 engineers from the 821st Engineer Construction Company in Summersville will deploy to help with debris removal and management operations, the governor’s office said.
The Guard members will stage in Florida and, under the command of the Florida National Guard, deploy to affected communities.
“With the devastation of Hurricane Helene still present, Florida is now under threat of a storm with even deadlier potential,” Maj. Gen. Bill Crane, adjutant general of the West Virginia National Guard, said in the news release. “Our soldiers and airmen will be there to help support response and relief efforts as needed, support first responders and officials, help citizens survive, and help stabilize communities in the aftermath of Milton. One of the most important missions of our National Guard is neighbors helping neighbors. With the strong support of Gov. Jim Justice, we are ready to provide any and all assistance we can render.”
The storm is expected to make landfall late Wednesday night or early Thursday, bringing a “large area of destructive storm surge” and “life-threatening hurricane-force winds,” according to the National Hurricane Center. Heavy rainfall is forecast to bring risk “catastrophic and life- threatening flash and urban flooding,” along moderate to major river flooding. Florida officials have warned residents in evacuation zones to leave or face death.
Hurricane Milton is expected to hit the Tampa Bay area, which is home to more than 3.3 million people, according to the Associated Press.
The southeast is still reeling from last month’s Hurricane Helene, which killed at least 230 people from Florida to North Carolina. Members of the West Virginia National Guard were deployed to South Carolina to assist with recovery and response to Hurricane Helene as well. Justice had initially said Guard members would assist with Hurricane Helene response in North Carolina, but that mission was put on hold as officials there assessed their recovery needs, Justice said in a subsequent news release.
“When our neighbors put out the call for help, time and time again, we answer,” Justice said in the news release Tuesday. “We supported our friends in Kentucky last year, and now we’re running to the fire in Florida. That’s what we do in West Virginia — we pull the rope together and help our neighbors. So, I’m proud we can join forces with the Florida National Guard in their response efforts. My thoughts and prayers are with our amazing men and women traveling south, all the first responders in the area, and everyone dealing with this challenging hurricane season. Let’s continue to take care of each other.”
Members of the West Virginia National Guard are expected to spend approximately 12 days on active duty in Florida.