More Florida National Guard members activated to help with Irma

Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday deployed another 900 members of the National Guard to help with storm preparations before Hurricane Irma is expected to slam the state this weekend.

That means 1,000 Guard members will be working across the state by the end of Wednesday, with the remaining 6,000 members reporting for duty no later than Friday morning, Scott said.

A statewide emergency declaration Scott issued Monday allowed for the immediate activation of the National Guard. Scott first deployed 100 members on Tuesday.

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“Hurricane Irma is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening Category 5 storm and the state is aggressively preparing to ensure families are safe as we prepare for a possible landfall,” Scott said in a statement Wednesday morning. “The brave men and women of the Florida National Guard are incredibly important to executing emergency preparedness and response actions across the state, and I will continue to activate more members as needed.”

“These members will be in place to help with evacuations and sheltering, as well as the coordination of search and rescue with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. National Guard members will also be assisting utility companies following the storm as they respond to return power to homes and businesses,” he added.

This story was originally published September 6, 2017 at 10:24 AM with the headline "More Florida National Guard members activated to help with Irma."