New Jersey ended up scrapping plans to deploy National Guard troops to help Florida amid Hurricane Ian’s destruction because those services were not needed, but the state did send a search and rescue team, Gov. Phil Murphy’s office said.
Murphy announced Thursday that New Jersey was sending 135 members of its National Guard, as well as 40 military and support vehicles, to Florida to help respond to the storm, which had made landfall the day before. The storm caused a wide swath of damage and left 47 people dead in Florida.
The assistance was part of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, an agreement in which states share resources in the wake of disasters.
But Murphy’s office said in a statement Friday that plans had changed.
“Florida officials were grateful for the support from New Jersey,” Tyler Jones, a spokesman for the office, said. “However, given the change in the track of the storm and analysis of relief missions, there is not a need for our assistance at this time. New Jersey stands ready to answer the call and support Florida in its time of need.”
NorthJersey.com was the first to report the news.
Details remain unclear about why the assistance deemed unnecessary as Florida continues to recover.
Murphy’s office told NJ Advance Media that New Jersey’s Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue, a team that helps search for victims trapped in collapsed buildings and assist in water rescues, was called to Florida late Friday night.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office did not immediately return a message from NJ Advance Media on Sunday seeking comment.
Both Murphy, a Democrat, and DeSantis, a Republican, hail from the opposite ends of the political spectrum in the U.S. and are considered potential candidates for their parties’ nominations for president in 2024.
As of Saturday, more than 1,000 people had been rescued from flooded areas along Florida’s southwestern coast alone in the wake of Ian, according to the Associated Press. The storm, one of the strongest hurricanes by wind speed to ever hit the U.S., has also caused destruction in both North Carolina and South Carolina, as well as Cuba.
Earlier this month, New Jersey sent nearly 150 State Police officers to Puerto Rico to help as Hurricane Fiona ravaged the island.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him at @johnsb01.
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