Delaware National Guard deployed to Florida to help with Hurricane Milton response
The Delaware National Guard is deploying 100 service members and dozens of vehicles to Florida to help with the state's Hurricane Milton response.
Milton is forecast to make landfall around Tampa Bay late Wednesday night or early in the morning on Thursday, Oct. 10 as a major Category 4 storm, less than two weeks after Florida's Gulf Coast was slammed by Hurricane Helene.
"This is another example of how the Delaware National Guard continues to step up in times of need to support communities here in the First State and our neighbors around the country who need our help," Delaware Gov. John Carney said in a statement announcing the DNG's mission. "I want to thank all our Delaware Guard members and their families for their service. We'll be thinking of and praying for all of the response teams, and everyone in the path of the storm."
Carney said the Delaware National Guard members are currently scheduled to stay in Florida for eight days to "provide general purpose support," clear roads and distribute supplies.
Delaware Valley emergency crews responding to Milton
Along with the Delaware National Guard, about 40 PECO crew members and 26 utility vehicles left for Florida on Oct. 8 to help restore power and repair damage from Hurricane Milton.
PECO said thousands of people will likely be affected by power outages in the aftermath of the storm.
"Every storm is different," spokesperson Greg Smore said as PECO crews prepared to leave Tuesday, "but we've responded to many hurricanes down in the Florida area, down in Texas as well. But what they're seeing is really severe tree damage as you would expect, a ton of rain so a lot of flooding conditions that they're experiencing as well."
PECO crews were also deployed to assist with the Hurricane Helene response.
Red Cross New Jersey currently has more than 35 disaster workers dispatched across the southeastern United States, some of whom are helping those affected by Helene. The organization told CBS News Philadelphia on Monday that other workers arrived in Florida earlier in the week to help house people displaced by Milton.
