PHOENIX — As Hurricane Milton hurls toward Florida, a rescue team from Arizona is getting ready to help residents affected by the heavy rainfall and tropical storm-force winds.
Arizona Task Force 1, a specialized team based out of Phoenix, said it has shifted its operations from the Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in North Carolina to southern Georgia in preparation for Milton's impact.
The team is now in a ready position after having spent the last 24 hours preparing boats and tools they may need to conduct a rescue operation.
On Wednesday, members of AZ-TF1 took moment aside from the preparations to honor Phoenix firefighter Adam Cauthron, an AZ-TF1 member who died suddenly last week. The task force members were able to watch a live stream of Cauthron's memorial service held in the Valley.
"AZ-TF1 is currently awaiting specific assignments from the FEMA Red Incident Support Team," the Phoenix Fire Department wrote in a statement. "The focus now is on strategic positioning and preparedness to act swiftly once Hurricane Milton makes landfall."
Milton was ranked as a Category 3 hurricane as of Wednesday afternoon.
AZ-TF1 has been previously deployed to assist in recovery efforts during the aftermaths of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Ike in 2008.
UP TO SPEED
*Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.*
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.