The U.S. military has poured resources into areas affected by Hurricane Milton in Florida, including 6,500 members of the state’s National Guard and another 3,000 from 19 other states ready to provide support as recovery efforts continue from Hurricane Helene.

Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters during a briefing Thursday that 6,500 Florida National Guard soldiers, along with more than 500 high-water vehicles, 26 helicopters and over a dozen watercraft from a dozen states, had been activated and mobilized to assist in the Response to help and recovery missions.

In addition to these resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approximately 250 people assisting with debris and flood control, waterway clearance and more, while U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Army North also stand by, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist as needed, with 60 additional flood vehicles from Fort Stewart, Georgia, and 100 U.S. Marines from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Prior to Milton’s arrival, U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) personnel evacuated their headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, and they remained evacuated Thursday.

MAYORKAS doubles down on ‘harmful’ misinformation amid FEMA criticism

A drone image shows a flooded street due to Hurricane Milton in Siesta Key, Florida, on Thursday. (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images)

“The safety of personnel and their families and ensuring they have the resources they need to recover from Hurricane Milton are priorities,” Ryder said. “Both commands continue to operate from multiple locations to ensure operations do not deteriorate.”

Ryder noted that Department of Defense facilities in Florida suffered “some damage, but not major damage.”

He added that teams need to be on site and assess the damage before further information can be provided.

MAYORKAS rips off ‘politicized’ atmosphere over FEMA disaster response amid Republican criticism

Pentagon press secretary Gen. Pat Ryder briefs reporters Thursday on resources being sent to Florida by the National Guard. (Pentagon Live Feed)

While efforts are focused on helping those affected by Milton, attention does not appear to have been diverted from recovery efforts in other parts of the Southeast devastated by Hurricane Helene two weeks ago.

Ryder told reporters that the National Guard has deployed about 5,000 Guardsmen, 80 flood vehicles and 50 helicopters from 17 states to the region, including 1,500 active-duty members in North Carolina.

Speaker Johnson criticizes “lack of leadership” in Biden’s response to Helene: “Alarmed and disappointed”

Marie Cook reacts to damage to her home in the Binks Estates community after a tornado spawned by Hurricane Milton struck homes in Wellington, Florida, on Wednesday. (Bill Ingram/Palm Beach Post/USA Today Network via Reuters)

The Pentagon continues to work with local, state and federal partners on coordinated response efforts, including clearing roads and distributing water and food.

The 18th Airborne Corps Soldiers are conducting operations in nine counties and have cleared 45 miles of roads in Haywood County, North Carolina, 28 miles in the town of Poplar and 14 miles in Buncombe County, Ryder said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

He added that the Army Corps of Engineers has mobilized over 550 personnel at 14 emergency operations centers across the region to assist with debris control, flood control, safe waterway assessment and temporary energy infrastructure.