FLORIDA, USA — The U.S. Coast Guard has staged several ground, air and sea crews ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall on Florida's west coast, which is slated for late Wednesday night.
In a news release, the agency said its priorities for Milton are as follows:
- Respond to urgent search and rescue (SAR) cases to assist those in distress;
- Assess damage to seaports and expedite their safe reopening;
- Respond to marine pollution incidents resulting from the storm;
- Continue to ensure the safety of our Coast Guard crews and their families.
“Our Coast Guard crews are part of the communities where they live and serve," Rear. Adm. Douglas Schofield stated in the release. "Our homes and families were also impacted by Helene and now, they are threatened by Milton."
The Coast Guard's resources ahead of Milton include:
- Active duty, reserve, civilian, and Auxiliary personnel from around the country;
- 27 aircraft, including 17 on immediate standby and 10 Coast Guard Auxiliary aircraft;
- Reserve aircrews from units around the country to support airborne SAR and overflights;
- 30 cutters, including 10 underway and 20 at heavy weather moorings;
- Three floodwater response teams with 16 crews and 19 boats at Camp Blanding;
- Incident Command Teams at Coast Guard sectors Key West, St. Petersburg, Miami, Jacksonville, Charleston and Marine Safety Units Canaveral and Savannah.
Officials added that social media should never be used to report life-threatening situations or emergencies. Instead, those in need of rescue should report to the Coast Guard on VHF radio channel 16 or by dialing 911.
For a full list of shelters ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall, click here.
