Ten Idahoans are a long way from home as they assist Hurricane Michael relief efforts in the Florida panhandle.
The team, made up of people skilled in incident management, logistics and public information, arrived Thursday afternoon just north of Panama City, ready to help however they could.
The team is managing a base camp for up to 250 first responders, making sure they have access to places to sleep, showers and three meals a day.
Kerry Hammon, one of the team members on the ground, describes the situation they’re in and the damage done by Hurricane Michael.
“There’s power lines down everywhere, it feels weird, you’re driving over the top of power lines," Hammon says. "Everywhere you look around you, there’s something damaged.”
The Idaho team’s skills were borrowed by Florida, thanks to an agreement called the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which allows states to quickly request resources from other states in emergencies. They expect to be in the Panama City area for two weeks, barring re-deployment.
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