National Guard troops from multiple states have been activated, with some troops from Tennessee and Mississippi being sent to Florida in response to Hurricane Ian, which became a Category 4 storm when it made landfall just after 3 p.m. on the west coast of the state.
The hurricane has since been downgraded to a Category 3 as of late Wednesday around 8:00 p.m. local time, with winds at 100 mph or higher. Some 1.6 million or more households are affected by power outages, prompting curfews in some areas.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, had on Sept. 26 authorized some 1,200 members of the state’s National Guard to “support response and recovery efforts for Hurricane Ian.” They will be “preparing to assist the Florida National Guard with post-hurricane recovery and debris removal,” according to Lee’s office. Three helicopters are also being sent to assist….