California Sending Hurricane Assistance to Gulf Coast

The Steinhatchee marina is seen flooded in Steinhatchee, Florida on August 30, 2023, after Hurricane Idalia made landfall. Idalia barreled into the northwest Florida coast as a powerful Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday morning, the US National Hurricane Center said. "Extremely dangerous Category 3 Hurricane #Idalia makes landfall in the Florida Big Bend," it posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, adding that Idalia was causing "catastrophic storm surge and damaging winds." (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Aug. 29 that help is on the way to Florida and Georgia to assist with search and rescue operations, as Hurricane Idalia struck the Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm bringing surges and high winds.

“When disaster strikes, Americans come together,” Mr. Newsom said in a press release.

Nine members of California’s Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces are coordinating with California’s Office of Emergency Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide assistance in hard-hit areas, according to Mr. Newsom.

Three are headed to Atlanta, Georgia and six will be stationed in Orlando, Florida, according to the press release.

Evacuation orders are in place in some coastal areas as flash flooding is expected and power lines are compromised due to high winds, officials said, after Idalia made landfall in the early hours of Aug. 30.

A historic, 100-year-old oak tree fell onto the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee, Florida when Idalia passed through, though no injuries were reported.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued updates at 12:30 ET advising that no deaths resulting from the storm are reported, and all search and rescue teams are deployed.

“We do not have any confirmed fatalities, yet,” Mr. DeSantis said at the press conference. “We’re still assessing what is all going on on the ground in the places that had the initial impact. We have a lot of people going in offering assistance from the state’s perspective and helping counties stabilize the situation.”

More than 250,000 homes and businesses are without power, but reconnection efforts are underway, and utility workers have already restored service to another 266,000 locations, according to the governor.

Airports are beginning to reopen, and ports in the area are under assessment and expected to resume operations soon.

Though people are advised to avoid beaches, at least one surfer had to be rescued from Jacksonville Beach, on the state’s northeast corner, due to heavy surf.

Hours after making landfall, officials downgraded Idalia’s classification to a tropical storm at 5:12 ET, noting that winds were gusting at 70 miles per hour. At that time, the storm was positioned 40 miles west of Savannah, Georgia.

With the storm impacting at least three states in the region, officials are asking residents to prioritize safety, remain indoors whenever possible, and avoid downed power lines or flooded roads.

California also sent aid last year when Hurricane Ian struck Florida, and the state provided assistance to Hawaii and Oregon following wildfires that broke out earlier this month.