AUSTIN, Texas – As residents in Florida prepare for a monster of a hurricane named Milton, the State of Texas is ramping up efforts to help by deploying additional resources.
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According to a news release, Governor Greg Abbott said he has directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to deploy more emergency response personnel to Florida as Hurricane Milton moves through the Gulf of Mexico.
The deployment comes as a response to requests from the Florida Division of Emergency Management. That’s why Abbott said the TDEM has deployed an Incident Management Team consisting of emergency management personnel to support incident command, planning, operations, logistics, resource coordination and disaster finance to assist with Florida’s Hurricane Milton emergency response operations.
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In total, Texas has deployed nearly 200 first responders to support hurricane response and recovery efforts across the southeastern United States, including the following:
- Deploying emergency response resources to Florida to support Hurricane Milton’s response and disaster recovery resources to Tennessee to support Hurricane Helene’s recovery
- Deploying Incident Support Task Force personnel to North Carolina to assist state and local emergency operations centers and communities impacted by Hurricane Helene
- Deploying emergency veterinary resources to North Carolina to support Hurricane Helene’s response and recovery efforts
- Deploying emergency power generators to Georgia following Hurricane Helene
- Deploying Texas A&M Task Force 1 urban search and rescue resources to Florida ahead of storm impacts from Hurricane Helene
“Our country is stronger when we come together in times of crisis, and Texas is immediately deploying additional support to help our fellow Americans as Florida braces for this major hurricane,” Governor Abbott said in a statement. “I directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to deploy more emergency management personnel to assist Floridians in preparation for this devastating hurricane. I thank all the emergency response personnel and first responders from Texas and across the country for working tirelessly to protect Americans from Hurricane Milton’s destruction.”