Louisiana National Guard troops, firefighters and others have boots on the ground in Florida with more on the way Thursday to help with Hurricane Milton rescue and recovery efforts.
Gov. Jeff Landry deployed more than 500 National Guard soldiers and equipment ahead of the storm to lead Louisiana’s effort, but other first responders and volunteers from across the state also are offering help.
“We had two urban search and rescue teams and two swift water rescue teams from all over the state there before the hurricane, and we’re sending another strike team (Thursday) that includes 22 people and five fire trucks,” Louisiana Fire Marshal Bryan J. Adams said in an interview with USA Today Network.
“I take great pride in the commitment of our fire service to assist our partners across the nation,” Adams said. “Our teams are not only well-equipped but also highly trained to respond swiftly and effectively in times of need.”
Louisiana National Guard Maj. Gen. Thomas C. Friloux said two Black Hawk helicopters were pre-positioned before Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday night with 20 route clearance teams and six engineer work teams on site to focus on clearing debris and restoring essential infrastructure.