Florida Gov. Rick Scott will activate the National Guard before Hurricane Irma, a potentially devastating Category 5 storm, can possibly make landfall in the state.
All 7,000 members of the National Guard will report for duty on Friday, Sept. 8, Scott said in a statement on Tuesday.
“With Hurricane Irma now a Category 5 storm, we must do all we can to prepare our families and communities for any potential impact from this major weather event,” Scott said in a statement. “We do not know the exact path of this storm, but weather can change in an instant and while we hope for the best, we must prepare for the worst.”
If additional resources are needed before Friday, Scott said he’s “ready to activate as many guard members needed to support our aggressive preparedness action.”
A state of emergency was declared in all 67 of Florida’s counties, freeing up resources, including the Guard.
