Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida is deploying recovery assistance to North Carolina and Tennessee in response to Hurricane Helene. The initiative, named Operation Blue Ridge, involves multiple state agencies including the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Florida State Guard, Florida National Guard, Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, a Law Enforcement Coordination Task Force, and a Law Enforcement Strike Team.
Governor DeSantis stated: "Today Governor Ron DeSantis is launching Operation Blue Ridge to assist Floridians seeking rescue in Western North Carolina, the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Tennessee Valley. These individuals can fill out our assistance form at FloridaDisaster.org/OperationBlueRidge."
The mission includes various assets and personnel:
Florida Division of Emergency Management:
- One All-Hazards Incident Management Team
- One Communication Unit Strike Team
- One Telecommunications Emergency Response Task Force
- Ten truckloads of water (42,550 gallons)
- Over 100 Starlinks
Florida State Guard:
- Two Special Missions Search and Rescue Teams
- Eight search and rescue soldiers
- One aerial assessment pilot
Florida National Guard:
- Two National Guard Response Teams with eight soldiers
- Equipment: two CH-47 Chinooks with crew
Florida Department of Law Enforcement:
- One Law Enforcement Coordination Taskforce with seven agents and analysts
- One Law Enforcement Strike Team with seven agents and officers
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Division of Law Enforcement:
- A 22-man team including two captains, two team leaders, twelve officers/investigators, one LE PIO, one mechanic
- Equipment: one SOG trailer, four high-water vehicles (buggy/high water UTV), three airboats, three shallow draft vessels, eighteen 4x4 trucks
-Aviation support: fixed wing aircraft with one pilot and one tactical flight officer
Florida Department of Transportation has provided resources for immediate inspection and assessment of transportation infrastructure maintained by NCDOT and TDOT. This includes emergency cut-and-toss strike teams; infrastructure damage assessment teams; bridge inspection teams for structures impacted by floodwaters; temporary bridge materials; hydraulic modeling professionals; project & contract management teams; public information officers; emergency communications technology.
"Under Governor Ron DeSantis’ leadership," the press release states," Florida’s strong disaster preparation and efficient response efforts have made it possible to provide much-needed assistance to other states."
For updates on Hurricane Helene-related information follow FDEM on social media or visit FloridaDisaster.org/Updates.