WILMINGTON, DE - On Wednesday, October 9, Governor John Carney will activate 100 service members and more than 40 vehicles from the Delaware National Guard (DNG) to augment the Florida National Guard’s response to Hurricane Milton. The storm is expected to make landfall on Florida’s west coast on the evening of October 9 as a major Category 4 or 5 hurricane. The storm could cause devastating damage due to dangerous storm surge, hurricane-force winds, and widespread flooding.

The activation order comes through the Delaware Emergency Management Agency under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. The DNG is currently scheduled for an eight-day mission to respond to Hurricane Milton and provide general purpose support, including setting up and managing points of distribution (PODs), route clearance, pumping, and other needs as assigned.

“This is another example of how the Delaware National Guard continues to step up in times of need to support communities here in the First State and our neighbors around the country who need our help,” said Governor Carney. “I want to thank all our Delaware Guard members and their families for their service. We’ll be thinking of and praying for all of the response teams, and everyone in the path of the storm.”

This activation continues Delaware’s history of helping fellow states in times of natural disaster through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. In 2017, the Delaware National Guard deployed nearly 80 Citizen Soldiers and Airmen to hurricane relief efforts in Texas, Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico in a three-month span from August to October.

“The Delaware National Guard stands ready to assist with the coordination of resources needed to help states deal with the impacts of these severe storms,” said Major General Michael Berry, Adjutant General of the Delaware National Guard. “These Delaware Citizen Soldiers, Airmen, and their families represent the spirit of the National Guard: Always Ready, Always There. We certainly hope a natural disaster doesn’t occur, but when it does, the State of Delaware can be confident that we have some of the finest citizens in uniform who train for these scenarios.”  

“Delaware is always willing to assist other states during times of need, such as the recent devastation from Hurricane Helene in the Southeast. The First State was able to send a swift water rescue team to North Carolina, and one of our teams is currently working in South Carolina,” said A.J. Schall, Director of the Delaware Emergency Management Agency. “This deployment by the Delaware National Guard exemplifies the great spirit of service in our state, and we will look for other opportunities to help whenever we can.”