Ohio Task Force 1 deployed to Georgia ahead of Tropical Storm Ian
An Ohio Task Force 1 squad was deployed Saturday to Georgia to prepare for the landfall of an impending tropical storm expected to become a major hurricane this week.
Task force officials said a 47-person team was sent to Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Georgia late Saturday afternoon to assist with preparation efforts ahead of Tropical Storm Ian, though officials said the situation "remains fluid."
The National Weather Service forecasts the storm to make landfall on the Florida Gulf Coast early Thursday morning. Florida declared a state of emergency on Saturday.
Tropical Storm Ian expected to strengthen, could make landfall as hurricane
Forecasters expect Ian will develop into a hurricane by the time it enters the Gulf of Mexico mid-week.
In addition to severe flooding damage in the southeast portion of the U.S., Jamaica and Cuba will also be impacted by the storm, the service reported late Sunday morning.
Tropical Storm #Ian is forecast to begin to rapidly strengthen later today. Ian is expected to be a major hurricane in the eastern Gulf of Mexico during the middle of the week, but uncertainty in the
long-term track and intensity forecasts is higher than usual. pic.twitter.com/R1u9eTkYZh— National Weather Service (@NWS) September 25, 2022
Ohio Task Force 1 is based in Dayton and includes experts from the Columbus and Cincinnati fire departments.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Task Force 1 sent to Georgia ahead of Ian's landfall
