Some 3,200 US National Guardsmen have been prepositioned in Florida to be deployed to impacted areas as tropical storm Ian is expected to bring high-speed winds and floods this week, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said on Tuesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th September, 2022) Some 3,200 US National Guardsmen have been prepositioned in Florida to be deployed to impacted areas as tropical storm Ian is expected to bring high-speed winds and floods this week, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said on Tuesday.
"As of this morning, the Florida National Guard has more than 3,200 soldiers and airmen on state active duty with another 1800 plus in the pipeline. Florida has pre-positioned guard soldiers, airmen, and equipment at bases and armories around the state in preparation for deploying them to areas impacted by the storm," Ryder said during a press briefing.
The guardsmen will provide root clearing, search and rescue teams to support flood control and security, while aviation assets like helicopters are also on standby to assist as required, Ryder said.
Five neighboring Florida states stand ready to make an additional 2,000 plus guardsmen available if required, Ryder added.
On September 26, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that a life-threatening storm surge, hurricane-force winds, flash floods, and possible mudslides were expected in Western Cuba. Ian, which the NHC upgraded to the "major hurricane" category, hit the island early on Tuesday when maximum sustained winds at landfall were estimated to reach 125 miles/hour. The hurricane is then forecast to head toward Florida, where a life-threatening storm surge is due to hit the state's west coast on Wednesday.
