Austin News

Governor Greg Abbott has announced the deployment of Texas emergency response and recovery resources to Florida and Tennessee. This decision follows requests from the Florida Division of Emergency Management in anticipation of Hurricane Milton and from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency for assistance with Hurricane Helene.

"Texas is swiftly deploying emergency response personnel and resources to Florida as Hurricane Milton prepares to make landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast later this week," stated Governor Abbott. He further added, "I also directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to send additional state resources to Tennessee to assist in recovery efforts for communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. America is stronger when we come together in times of crisis, and Texas will continue to deploy crucial resources to support our fellow Americans as they prepare for and recover from these destructive storms."

The resources sent to Florida are mobilized ahead of Hurricane Milton's impact, while those deployed to Tennessee are intended for ongoing recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene. These deployments supplement existing Texas state emergency response activities across the Southeast United States due to impacts from Hurricane Helene.

Under Governor Abbott's direction, the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) has sent several key resources:

- To Florida: TDEM emergency management personnel will aid in resource coordination efforts, while the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Texas A&M Task Force 1) provides swiftwater rescue boat squads and search-and-rescue personnel for flood response.

- To Tennessee: TDEM personnel will support logistics and disaster finance operations.

These deployments operate under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a mutual aid system allowing states to share resources during emergencies. EMAC ensures that member states can provide assistance across various disciplines while protecting deployed personnel and covering mission-related costs.

In addition, Governor Abbott continues broader support actions related to tropical weather events by deploying incident support task force personnel, veterinary resources, power generators, and urban search-and-rescue teams across affected areas including North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.