N.J. Sends 45-Member Team to Help With Idalia Rescues

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(TNS) – New Jersey sent 45 members of the state’s search and rescue squad to South Carolina as Hurricane Idalia strengthened along the Gulf Coast.

New Jersey Task Force 1 — made up of police, fire and emergency personnel specializing in boat water rescues — deployed to Columbia, South Carolina, on Monday night.

“While staged, they will be rehabbing, conducting just-in-time training, planning, and awaiting further information on operational orders,” New Jersey state Office of Emergency Management Sgt. Joseph Walsh told NJ Advance Media.

The state’s task force has members from 21 counties across New Jersey and is managed by the State Police and the state’s Office of Emergency Management.

All costs associated with the deployment will be refunded by Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The latest forecast showed Hurricane Idalia gained strength in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico , and authorities warned of a “catastrophic storm surge and destructive winds” as the storm moves ashore Wednesday morning.

Idalia was projected to make landfall later Wednesday morning as a Category 4 storm with winds of at least 130 mph in the lightly populated Big Bend region, where the Florida Panhandle curves into the peninsula.

Forecasters say “widespread” outages are possible across northern Florida and into parts of Georgia and South Carolina, according to AccuWeather.

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Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com.