GRAYLING, Mich. – Soldiers with the Michigan National Guard departed Monday morning for Florida to support the Florida National Guard with relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Irma.
About 425 soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 126th Infatry Regiment left Camp Grayling for the first left of their trip. The troops are expected to stage in North Carolina, then move to Cecil Field in Jacksonville.
The troops are expected to deploy to the west side of southern Florida where they are likely to provide humanitarian assistance and security.
LIVE STREAM: Tropical Storm Irma continuous coverage from Miami
A massive but weakened Hurricane Irma zeroed in on the Tampa Bay region early Monday after hammering much of Florida with roof-ripping winds, gushing floodwaters and widespread power outages.
Land interaction and increasing wind shear rapidly weakened Irma on Sunday and Sunday night, and the storm is now a minimal Category 1 with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph near the center, which is currently located about 60 miles north of Tampa and moving north-northwest at 18 mph.
In one of the largest U.S. evacuations, nearly 7 million people in the Southeast were warned to seek shelter elsewhere, including 6.4 million in Florida alone. Upon leaving Florida, a weakened Irma is expected to push into Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and beyond. A tropical storm warning was issued for the first time ever in Atlanta, where many schools canceled classes because of the storm.
The Michigan Task Force 1 headed to Florida Sunday morning with $9 million worth of equipment to help with rescue efforts.
READ: Michigan Task Force 1 sends crew, $9 million in equipment to assist Hurricane Irma rescue efforts
CHECK: Updated list of Florida cities, counties under mandatory evacuation order for Hurricane Irma
WATCH LIVE: Tropical Storm Irma continuous coverage from Orlando
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