COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia National Guard is actively assisting with recovery efforts all across Georgia following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.
As they continue to aid citizens there, the Guard told Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne that it is also preparing to pivot to Florida in response to the anticipated impact of Hurricane Milton.
Brigadier Gen. Jason Fryman explained that the Guard has transitioned from clearing debris after Helene to distributing vital commodities across affected communities.
With primary and secondary roads largely cleared, Fryman emphasized that the teams are “resetting” to address the needs that Hurricane Milton might bring.
“We’ve actually kind of culminated on our debris clearing and removal trying to clear the roads primary and secondary roads for access,” Fryman said. “A lot of that is completed now and we’re kind of resetting those teams to be able to respond for this next event.”
Lt. Col. Pervis Brown highlighted the volume of aid already delivered, including over 1.2 million meals and nearly 200,000 bags of ice and cases of water.
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“As the Georgia Guard helps Georgians across the state recover from the effects of Helene,” Fryman said. “It’s in a state of readiness if called upon to deal with whatever Hurricane Milton might dish out.”
The response to Hurricane Helene saw Fryman immediately assessing the hardest-hit areas, which helped the Guard efficiently mobilize their efforts.
Maj. Gen. Konata Crumbly of the Georgia Air National Guard shared that on short notice, their C130 J transport planes picked up thousands of meals from Arkansas for delivery to affected areas in Georgia.
“We were able to get 7,200 meals,” Crumbly said.
Fryman added that large helicopters have been deployed to North Carolina delivering supplies to isolated areas in that state.
The Guard is poised to support Florida if needed, operating with nearly 15,000 soldiers, airmen, and volunteers to draw from.
“What we’ve come to realize is no matter how tough it is for us to try to work through the response, it’s tougher for our friends and relatives across the state,” Brown said.
Maj. Gen. Dwayne Wilson noted that around 2,000 service members have been involved in the response so far and await further orders regarding Hurricane Milton, underscoring Georgia’s readiness to assist Florida if required.
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