“Strategically staged to move wherever they might be needed, OH-TF1 was outside the affected area,” read a Facebook post shared of the task force’s page Thursday night. “On Wednesday and Thursday, the team conducted training and planning sessions while remaining ready for any mission assignments.”
Hurricane Idalia hit Florida Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane, tearing roofs off buildings, snapping trees and power lines and flooding parts of the state.
Maximum sustained winds reach approximately 125 mph, before crossing into Georgia around 90 mph, according to the Associated Press. By Wednesday night, it had weakened to a tropical storm with winds of 60 mph as it made its way though the Carolinas.
“We send our heartfelt condolences to those affected by Hurricane Idalia,” said task force leader Jim O’Connor. “We believe in the tenacity of the human spirit, even in the toughest times because we have seen it.”
As of Thursday night, no hurricane-related deaths were confirmed in Florida, according to the AP.
“OH-TF1 members are thankful to know the storm was not as deadly or disastrous as it could have been,” read the OH-TF Facebook page.
The task force is expected to return to Vandalia Friday evening.
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