Tennessee, Mississippi authorities send emergency response crews to Florida

JACKSON, Miss. (WMC) - Authorities in Mississippi and Tennessee have deployed emergency response teams to Florida in response to Hurricane Ian.

Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwestern Florida as a massive Category 4 storm on Wednesday.

The Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis District announced that 20 of its members are already en route, prepared to help FEMA respond to Hurricane Ian.

It also assembled an Emergency Power Planning and Response Team also known as the “Power Team” to Craig Field in Selma, Alabama, where FEMA has pre-staged 117 generators.

The team will provide support by helping set up emergency generators at hospitals and shelters.

The American Red Cross Tennessee Region also deployed 36 of its volunteers and staff in Florida and more than 500 disaster workers on the ground to support sheltering and relief efforts as Ian makes landfall.

Now, Salvation Army says Memphis Area Commanders have not yet been deployed but are currently on stand-by along with other officers, employees and volunteers across the U.S.

The American Red Cross says its actively recruiting new volunteers to fast-track shelter training in preparation for Hurricane Ian.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves also sent the National Guard and helicopters to Florida to help.

Reeves tweeted Wednesday afternoon that he sent about 20 guards and two chinook helicopters to assist in emergency response efforts.

According to Associated Press, about 2.5 million people had been ordered to evacuate the area before the storm hit the coast on Wednesday with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (241 kph).

The storm was heading inland, where it was expected to weaken, but residents in central Florida could still experience hurricane-force winds.

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