Parts of Canada and 20 U.S. states have sent aid to Florida after Hurricane Helene and ahead of Hurricane Milton, two major storms that will have rocked the Sunshine State within two weeks of each other.
Several crews from Nova Scotia Power began their drive from the Canadian province, hanging just northeast of Maine, to Tampa after "receiving the call only 24 hours ago", the electrical company posted to their social media Wednesday morning. They will join 20 U.S. states, including states as far away as California and Minnesota, which have sent some sort of assistance to Florida.
"Nova Scotians are no strangers to the devastating impacts of these kinds of weather events. We are so proud of our colleagues who stand ready to help our American neighbours. Stay safe out there," the company wrote, referencing the seven hurricanes that have hit the territory since 2020.
In total, Florida has a staggering 5,000 National Guard at the ready and 50,000 linemen from around the continent waiting to restore power to the soon-to-be damaged state. States responding to Florida aid requests follows the Sunshine State sending help to North Carolina after Hurricane Helene devastated western portions of the state.
"If you're in the path of this storm you're most likely going to lose power," Gov. Ron DeSantis warned at a Wednesday afternoon press conference in Lake City.
Milton, which is currently a low yet massive Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph, is forecasted to slam into the Sarasota to Tampa Bay area on Florida's west coast sometime between 11 p.m. tonight and early Thursday morning. Tampa, which already suffered massive flooding from Hurricane Helene two weeks ago, fears that this would be the strongest storm to hit the city in 100 years.
As of 2 p.m. Wednesday—at least nine hours before Milton is expected to hit—there were reports of low flooding in Tampa Bay, a tornado in Broward County, and another tornado near Everglades City. Just over 44,000 people in Florida are without power as the storm nears, and 36 of the 51 counties under a declared state of emergency have some sort of evacuation order in place.
Some of the U.S. states providing aid:
- Oklahoma has deployed an Emergency Operations Support team to Florida,
- Colorado sent a Chinook helicopter, its eight crew members, and 35 members of the Colorado Task Force 1,
- Arkansas sent a five-soldier Black Hawk crew and power crews
- Texas sent some of their state Division of Emergency Management and the Texas A&M Task Force 1,
- New York will send 65 National Guard soldiers and airmen
- New Jersey sent 80 National Guard soldiers and 30 military vehicles
- Ohio is sending more than three dozen National Guardsmen
- Delaware is sending 100 National Guardsmen and 40 vehicles
- West Virginia is sending 40 National Guard and 12 airmen
- Connecticut and Massachusetts sent a crew of linemen,
- Minnesota deployed two Chinook helicopters and eleven soldiers,
- California sent 144 firefighters and ground personnel as well as an Urban Search and Rescue team,
- Michigan has sent hundreds of volunteers
- Wisconsin sent utility crews
- Alabama and Mississippi have sent 40 American Red Cross volunteers
