TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Three Florida emergency management staff members have been sent to Mississippi to help set up shelters that comply with coronavirus health regulations, as the region experienced Tropical Storm Marco on Monday and awaits Hurricane Laura.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management said in a tweet that the assistance returns help provided during Hurricane Michael in 2018 and Hurricane Irma in 2017.
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.@MSEMA stepped in & provided invaluable support during #Michael and #Irma. The Division is happy to return the favor and values continued partnerships between state emergency response teams. We stand ready to provide any assistance needed to help save lives. 🌀 https://t.co/ywnSyzsxze
— FL Division of Emergency Management (@FLSERT) August 25, 2020
Division spokesman Jason Mahon said the people deployed have expertise in planning and sheltering.
“Staff are deployed at the request of other states,” Mahon said in an email. “At this time, we have not received requests from Louisiana or Texas, however, the division stands ready to support our neighbors as they prepare for impacts from Hurricane Laura.”
This week, Division staff deployed to @MSEMA to share best practices from FL's co-response plan for non-congregate sheltering during hurricane season as Mississippi prepares for #Marco & #Laura. FDEM values continued partnerships between state EM teams & stands ready to assist. pic.twitter.com/d1TvAY05rv
— FL Division of Emergency Management (@FLSERT) August 24, 2020
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ daily schedule released Tuesday afternoon noted a phone call earlier in the day with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a fellow Republican. Details of the call were not immediately available from the governor’s office.
Marco made landfall about 6 p.m. Monday near the mouth of the Mississippi River.
Laura was on a path in the Gulf of Mexico to reach an area near the Texas-Louisiana border by early Thursday.