Infantry Scouts from Troop C, 1-153rd Cavalry Squadron, Tallahassee, Fla., provide support to the people of Port St. Joe, Fla. Port St. Joe is 18 miles from Mexico Beach where Hurricane Michael caused massive destruction.
Different from Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Michael came fast and furiously into the Florida Panhandle as a Category 4 storm. It did not linger, but moved quickly, ravaging the land over which it passed. Hurricane Michael made landfall between St. Vincent Island and Panama City, Florida, early in the afternoon of Oct. 10, 2018. With winds reaching 155 mph – just 2 mph shy of a Category 5 hurricane, the highest possible hurricane classification – Hurricane Michael was the strongest hurricane to come ashore along the Florida Panhandle going back over 150 years.
Over 3,700 Soldiers and Airmen were mobilized in response to Hurricane Michael – with over 1,000 being mobilized prior to landfall. Service members included 148 personnel from eight States – Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York and Ohio.
All combined, the out-of-State units brought five Chinook choppers, six Black Hawk choppers and 36 tactical vehicles for use in the response effort. Operations included search-and-rescue, boat teams, transportation, logistical support and aviation support.
Florida National Guard’s Dual Status Commander BG Rafael Ribas spoke about his directive to Soldiers to keep the essentials properly prioritized as they approached the disaster response.
“Number one with everything we do, of course, is safety,” he said. “As [Soldiers] began search and rescue, the next [priority] was to assist our citizens. Subsequent [to that] was establishing points of distribution and the security element. Finally, [our priority] was to remain in constant contact with the local leadership. That is so important because it ensures unity of effort.”
That unified effort included support from active duty units working in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Before the hurricane made landfall, 2,216 active-duty personnel – responding with 32 helicopters, 240 high-water vehicles and 32 swift-water boats – were in position, ready to begin mitigation tactics.
