New York is deploying 65 National Guard soldiers and airmen to Florida Wednesday to assist the response to Hurricane Milton, which is expected to make landfall on Florida's west coast Wednesday evening, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced.

The Army National Guard will send 41 soldiers from the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Syracuse and 10 Humvees to provide general purpose support to Camp Blanding Joint Training Center near Jacksonville, Florida.

The Air National Guard is sending 24 pararescue airmen from the 106th Rescue Wing at F.S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach, on Long Island. They will be sent with watercraft and specialized vehicles. 

“As hurricanes wreak devastation along much of the Southeastern United States, we are stepping up to support response efforts for those in need,” Hochul said in a statement. “I am deploying the New York National Guard to protect Floridians in the path of Hurricane Milton — offering resources, assistance and standing united with our neighbors in this time of crisis.”

The New York National Guard currently has 48 soldiers and airmen deployed, including Army engineers and CH-47F Chinook heavy lift helicopters, on storm response missions in North Carolina.

"Our Soldiers and Airmen are simply amazing at the way they respond on very short notice. I could not be prouder of their dedication and professionalism.," Maj. Gen. Ray Shields, adjutant general of New York, said in a statement. "They continue to make a difference in people’s lives every day. At the same time, the Citizen Soldiers and Airmen we have already deployed are continuing their support of the response effort in North Carolina."