Hurricane Helene: Maryland, Virginia rescue teams deployed to Florida ahead of storm

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Hurricane Helene, now a Category 2 storm, is advancing across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida, with landfall expected Thursday evening. Tactical and swift water rescue teams from the Washington, D.C. region and other parts of the country have already deployed in preparation for the storm’s impacts.

Maryland Task Force 1 deployed Wednesday night to assist with the expected aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Florida. Requested by FEMA, the team will support rescue efforts and staff incident support teams, bringing several tractor trailers and a box truck full of equipment. Members of the team also specialize in water rescue capabilities. Their first stop is a staging area in Atlanta, Georgia, but they will be used wherever needed most. 

Montgomery County also sent incident support team communication specialists to the Orlando area to assist FEMA efforts. Chief Corey Smedley of the Montgomery County Fire Department noted this is the group’s fourth deployment this year.

Hurricane Helene: Maryland, Virginia rescue teams deployed to Florida ahead of storm (Pete Piringer / @mcfrsPIO)

Virginia’s Task Force 1 also arrived in Florida Wednesday night with an 80-person, four-canine team that includes doctors, paramedics, engineers, and swift water rescue experts. They brought 30 tons of equipment with them. The state of emergency ordered by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin allows agencies in the Commonwealth to start positioning resources and equipment.

The National Weather Service said storm surges of up to 20 feet (6 meters) are possible and warned they could be particularly "catastrophic and unsurvivable" in Florida's Apalachee Bay. It added that high winds and heavy rains also posed risks. The Washington, D.C. region will likely see rain into the weekend as the remnants of the storm move north after making landfall.