Several San Antonio organizations will deploy to Florida to help with the potential impact of Hurricane Milton.
Florida will be assisted by members of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, San Antonio Fire Department, CPS Energy, and the American Red Cross.
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Milton remains a ferocious storm that could land a once-in-a-century direct hit on Tampa and St. Petersburg. It could engulf the populous region with towering storm surges and turn debris from Helene’s devastation 12 days ago into projectiles.
While the storm had weakened, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Tuesday that Milton was once again a Category 5 storm.
Milton was previously a Category 4 storm, but its wind speeds have increased again past the Category 5 threshold. As of about 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, the storm, located about 480 miles (775 kilometers) from Tampa, has sustained wind speeds of 165 mph (270 kph), the hurricane center said.
At the direction of Governor Greg Abbott, TDEM has deployed the following resources to support Florida’s Hurricane Milton emergency response operations:
- Texas Division of Emergency Management: TDEM personnel will assist with emergency response resource coordination.
- 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,” Abbott said. “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.”
SAFD confirmed with KSAT that 16 members have deployed.
Eight water rescue team members are in Florida; in North Carolina, there are five urban search and rescue members and two incident management team members. One member is working on an incident management team in College Station.
CPS Energy told KSAT that 11 people were deployed to Florida in total.
“This morning we sent two contractor crews ... these crews are working on behalf of CPS Energy,” a spokesperson for CPS Energy said.
Meanwhile, nearly 40 Central and South Texas volunteers have deployed.
“The urgent need for additional volunteers remains critical,” a spokesperson for The Red Cross said. “For the second time in just two weeks, the American Red Cross is racing against the clock to mobilize volunteers, shelters, and relief supplies as Hurricane Milton bears down on Florida.”
“People affected by Hurricane Helene need urgent help now, and we can’t do this alone. You can help by making a financial donation or signing up to become a volunteer by visiting the Red Cross,” The Red Cross said.
Follow AP’s coverage of tropical weather online.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
