Cindy Gonzalez
LINCOLN — The Nebraska National Guard mission to help Florida after Hurricane Milton ended shortly after it started.
Gov. Jim Pillen announced Tuesday that the emergency response operation was canceled on Saturday after Florida officials assessed storm damage.
The 150 soldiers and airmen from units throughout the state, all volunteers, had been ordered to duty by Pillen last week and were to arrive in Florida by vehicles this past weekend. The mission was in response to an Emergency Management Assistance Compact request by the State of Florida for a Guard general service support company in anticipation of damage expected by Milton.
The Nebraska soldiers and airmen returned to Nebraska this weekend, according to a news release. They were processed and released on Monday.
Maj. Gen. Craig Strong, Nebraska adjutant general, thanked the troops for their willingness to support the mission.
“Fortunately, the damage caused by Hurricane Milton was not as catastrophic as was first feared,” he said. “However, the willingness of our Nebraska National Guard soldiers and airmen to put their lives on hold and volunteer to support their neighbors in Florida says a tremendous amount about these individuals and their commitment to remaining ready and agile when disasters strike.”
Also released from service in Florida on Sunday was the 16-person mutual aid team from the Omaha Public Power District.
The OPPD team left Omaha more than two weeks ago to provide power restoration support in hurricane-ravaged parts of the Southeast.
The group left Nebraska Sept. 28 and began service with Appalachian Power, helping to restore power in West Virginia and Virginia after Hurricane Helene. The team then headed to Orlando to help with Hurricane Milton, and was released Sunday from service with the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC).
“Fortunately, the extent of damage and power outages for OUC were less than had been expected, and their work wrapped up after about three days,” said an OPPD media release.
Yet another group, from the Nebraska Public Power District, also was released Sunday from mutual aid service in Florida.
That 15-person team from throughout Nebraska previously was helping in Augusta, Georgia, and was given the OK by OUC to leave Florida on Sunday.