COLUMBUS, Ohio — Anticipating the impact of Hurricane Milton on Florida, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has mobilized more than 40 members of the Ohio National Guard to assist with recovery efforts in the storm’s aftermath.
“As Florida recovers from one hurricane and braces for another, Ohio is stepping up to help Governor DeSantis and the entire state,” Governor DeWine said. “Members of the 200th REDHORSE Squadron are heading to Florida proactively, ahead of what is expected to be another catastrophic storm.”
The 200th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer (REDHORSE), based in Port Clinton, is the Ohio Air National Guard’s civil engineering unit. Once in Florida, the Airmen will assess support needs, help clear storm debris from public areas, and participate in recovery and relief operations in the areas most affected by the hurricane.
“Ohio continues to be ready to assist our fellow states in times of need,” said Major General John Harris Jr., Ohio’s adjutant general. “The 200th REDHORSE Squadron is trained to provide a highly mobile, rapidly deployable civil engineering response force capable of performing heavy damage repair.”
Florida requested assistance from Ohio under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a national mutual aid agreement that enables states to share resources during emergencies declared by state or federal authorities.
Just last week, Governor DeWine activated more than a dozen Airmen and Soldiers to support North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.