FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 7, 2024
MEDIA CONTACT: Mike Steele | [email protected] | 225-788-0095
BATON ROUGE (October 7, 2024) – The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) continues to support states impacted by Hurricane Helene and preparing for Hurricane Milton. Nearly 100 personnel have been deployed to North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. Another 77 personnel are being deployed to Florida as Hurricane Milton treks east across the Gulf of Mexico. Louisiana emergency management and response teams are often key for these types of out-of-state missions due to experience, training and record of performance when deployed. The support ranges from search and rescue teams and support for law enforcement to emergency operations center specialists and debris management experts.
Governor Jeff Landry said, “Louisiana knows firsthand the pain and destruction that comes with natural disasters. We will always step up and provide state to state support to our neighbors across the Southeast who are suffering. Louisiana has benefitted tremendously from this type of support in the past, and it is important for us to now answer the call to help others.”
The support is coordinated through GOHSEP after requests are entered via the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). EMAC offers assistance during governor-declared states of emergency or disaster through a responsive, straightforward system that allows states to send personnel, equipment, and commodities to assist with response and recovery efforts in other states.
“The EMAC process allows states to respond and help another state when they need it most,” said GOHSEP Director Jacques Thibodeaux. “When you face a natural disaster like these hurricanes, the response and recovery can be extremely difficult. The teams deployed from Louisiana include a combination of local and state personnel and roughly 400 pallets of Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) for Georgia. We will continue to monitor requests from our neighbors and help with any available resources. I salute the men and women who are working in the impacted regions.”
Director Thibodeaux adds the work helping our neighbors will not impact the ongoing recovery efforts in Louisiana following Hurricane Francine.
The state continues to closely monitor Hurricane Milton expected to impact Florida later this week.
State Climatologist Jay Grymes said, “Watching Milton intensify from a Category 1 hurricane to a Category 5 system in one day is remarkable. This will be Florida’s third landfall of the 2024 season and the second major hurricane to impact the state. Milton will not be an issue for Louisiana, but it proves why it is so important for everyone along the Gulf Coast to remain prepared. Please keep in mind, hurricane season does not end until November 30th, so stay weather aware and prepared.”
Download the revamped Get A Game Plan App for more information on Louisiana’s emergency management efforts. Please follow GOHSEP’s social media accounts on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and LinkedIn. The GOHSEP Get A Game Plan Podcast is another resource available to help you and your family prepare for any type emergency. You can download the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Guide and find other preparedness information at www.getagameplan.org.
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