At least 11 members of the Iowa Army National Guard packed up and headed to Jacksonville, Florida, Monday, September 11.
There, they plan to assist in search and rescue missions as well as transport people and supplies across the state.
“The storm is still moving through, we don’t know exactly what the situation is. We know what it could be, we know what it might be,” says Specialist, Karson Smith.
Iowa deployed 19 National Guard soldiers and 4 aircraft to support response operations from Hurricane Irma.
Although Irma is no longer a hurricane, it has already left a destructive and deadly path in Florida and the Caribbean.
The Iowa men heading down south, say they are hoping for the best but they are keeping their eyes open.
“We expect to see a lot of flooding obviously and really expecting to keep an open mind,” says Scott Millman, from the Iowa National Guard.
Soldiers plan to be in Florida for 10 days but are willing to stay longer, if needed.