Tampa, Fl (October 7, 2024) – As the Florida Division finishes serving Hurricane Helene in the Big Bend, it pauses service delivery along the west coast in preparation for Hurricane Milton. It is expected to be a storm unlike anything seen in 100 years and predicted to hit land within 24 to 48 hours. The anticipation of Hurricane Milton’s arrival has prompted emergency services to brace for unprecedented challenges in disaster response and recovery.
Citrus, Hernando, Clearwater, Bradenton, Tampa and St. Petersburg Corps have provided service delivery to ravaged communities in the past few days. It was difficult for Salvation Army personnel to navigate through these communities due to tons of debris left beside damaged homes during Helene’s hurricane cleanup.
Debris can easily be blown into the air by strong winds, threatening residents and their property. Thus, county and city services are ensuring evacuation routes remain accessible and safe as quickly as possible before and after Hurricane Milton hits.
Since Tampa is Milton’s target area, base camp assets will be staged in Lakeland by Tuesday to minimize damage from Milton’s extreme winds. The staging of base camp assets in Lakeland will allow teams to assess the situation and prepare for any potential damage. The teams will also monitor the situation to ensure that Milton does not pose a threat to Tampa.
“Since I’ve been deployed for fourteen days, I feel displaced,” says Captain Mike Chamberlain of Clay County, FL. Many families have experienced this feeling since Helene hit them and are now bracing for Hurricane Milton. Despite this, nothing prevents The Salvation Army from standing up for the needy.
