Members of the Texas Division of Emergency Management will deploy to Florida to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
Hurricane Milton is weakening slightly but remains a ferocious storm that could land a once-in-a-century direct hit on Tampa and St. Petersburg, engulfing the populous region with towering storm surges and turning debris from Helene’s devastation 12 days ago into projectiles.
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Forecasters warned of a possible 8- to 12-foot storm surge (2.4 to 3.6 meters) in Tampa Bay. That’s the highest ever predicted for the location, nearly double the levels reached two weeks ago during Helene, hurricane center spokesperson Maria Torres said.
The storm could also bring widespread flooding. Five to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) of rain was forecast for mainland Florida and the Keys, with as much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) expected in some places.
At the direction of Governor Greg Abbott, TDEM has deployed the following resources to support Florida’s Hurricane Milton emergency response operations:
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Texas Division of Emergency Management: TDEM personnel will assist with emergency response resource coordination efforts.
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Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Texas A&M Task Force 1): Swiftwater Rescue Boat Squads and search and rescue personnel will assist in flood response efforts.
“Texas is swiftly deploying emergency response personnel and resources to Florida as Hurricane Milton prepares to make landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast later this week,” Governor Abbott continued, “America is stronger when we come together in times of crisis, and Texas will continue to deploy crucial resources to support our fellow Americans as they prepare for and recover from these destructive storms.”
The governor has also deployed crews to help with the recovery efforts still underway in Tennessee after Hurricane Helene.