COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Task Force 1 is preparing to send crew members to Florida in preparation for Tropical Storm Idalia hitting the sunshine state this week.
Ohio Task Force 1 will send 47 members to Florida, along with two K-9s.
Some members of the task force returned to Ohio this past weekend after assisting with search efforts in Maui, Hawaii where devastating wildfires burned through the island and killed more than 100 people.
Crew members will depart from Vandalia at 5 a.m. on Tuesday to arrive in Florida ahead of the storm and assist as necessary.
As of Monday morning, Idalia has winds of 90 mph.
The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Idalia is intensifying and expected to become a major hurricane before it reaches Florida's Gulf Coast.
Large parts of the western coast of Florida are at risk of seawater surging onto land and flooding communities when a tropical storm or hurricane approaches.
Ohio Task Force 1 says Tennessee Task Force 1 was also activated to assist.
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