After sending multiple rounds of state assistance in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton to the southeastern U.S., Governor Tate Reeves is deploying more resources.
Reeves announced the deployment of two floodplain managers from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency to assist local managers aiding in the recovery of Hurricane Milton – the latest of two severe hurricanes to batter the Florida coast.
The MEMA floodplain managers will assist with damage assessments, along with offering training and guidance to local emergency managers.
“Please continue to pray for those affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helene,” Reeves wrote in the social media announcement Thursday.
I’ve approved the deployment of two MEMA floodplain managers to Florida in the wake of Hurricane Milton. They will assist with damage assessments, and offer training and guidance to local emergency managers.
Please continue to pray for those affected by Hurricanes Milton and…
— Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) October 17, 2024
The pair of hurricanes, which both made landfall on the Florida Gulf Coast before impacting seven other states, combined to claim more than 300 lives and deal over $100 billion in damage.
Before Thursday’s announcement, Reeves had already approved Mississippi’s deployment of 12 Mission Ready Packages (resources that are pre-defined and organized for a specific mission or capability) to five states. Members of the Mississippi National Guard, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency staffers, and other task forces made up of local first responders are still on the ground in impacted areas.
Multiple Mississippi-based utility companies have also sent crews to aid in recovery efforts.