Hurricane Michael response teams have arrived at a staging area in Okaloosa County, FL, just across the bay from Destin. They are helping with search and rescue efforts across the region.

State Fire Marshal Butch Browning coordinated the effort after he got a request from the State of Florida. Browning says the equipment they brought with them will be used to open doors, lift walls, breach minor collapses, and perform water rescues.

They are expecting to be in Florida for 2 to 3 days after the storm. Browning tells KEEL News a second wave of first responders will be ready to go to the region to relieve the first group. Several of the relief team will be from the Shreveport area. Local firefighters responded to South Carolina after Hurricane Florence made landfall on the East Coast.

Hurricane Michael came ashore along the Florida Panhandle Wednesday afternoon as a category 4 Hurricane with winds at 155 MPH. Michael is now a tropical storm and it's dumping heavy rains across Georgia and South Carolina.

More From K945, The Hit Music Channel