Hurricane-Battered State Asks For Assistance -- But Not Much -- After Wilma

Although Hurricane Wilma left a swath of destruction through southern Florida Oct. 24, the state has asked the Air Force for very little assistance.

Florida was so well prepared for Wilma that officials there have -- so far -- only asked the military to provided communication packages and helicopter airlift support, said Col. Jeff Theulen, a reserve emergency preparedness liaison officer.

"We’ve provided some support, but it's been fairly muted as Florida has handled this entire situation," Colonel Theulen said from his prepositioned location at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.

The colonel said the Department of Defense is on standby to "provide any type of assets" the state may require. Later, the colonel expects the military may provide more support in the form of airborne warning and control system aircraft, search and rescue, helicopters and cargo movement.

There are liaison officers stationed in every state and in 10 Federal Emergency Management Agency regional offices. They provide the face of the Air Force to FEMA and the state emergency operation centers.

Wilma caused billions of dollars in damage and left millions of homes without power. It swept through the state as a strong Category 3 storm and left as a Category 2. Forecasters say Wilma was the strongest storm to hit the Miami area since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, which caused more than $25 billion in damage and eventually led to the closure of Homestead Air Reserve Base.

Homestead's 482nd Fighter Wing is in the process of assessing damage to the base. Late last week, well before the storm hit, the reservists relocated their F-16C Fighting Falcons and F-15 Strike Eagles.

(ANN salutes Master Sgt. Orville F. Desjarlais Jr.)

FMI: www.af.mil