Ohio National Guard members on standby to assist in Hurricane Irma recovery efforts

Sgt. Ryan Webb of Morrow, center, says goodbye to fellow soldiers Colton Palmer and Daniel Kloppenburg after returning from deployment, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016. More than 100 members of the Middletown-based Ohio Army National Guard's 324th Military Police Co. returned to a Welcoming Ceremony at Franklin High School after an 11-month deployment guarding prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. GREG LYNCH / STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Sgt. Ryan Webb of Morrow, center, says goodbye to fellow soldiers Colton Palmer and Daniel Kloppenburg after returning from deployment, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016. More than 100 members of the Middletown-based Ohio Army National Guard's 324th Military Police Co. returned to a Welcoming Ceremony at Franklin High School after an 11-month deployment guarding prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. GREG LYNCH / STAFF

As many as 3,500 members of the Ohio National Guard could be deployed to assist crews in Florida after Hurricane Irma makes landfall Sunday morning.

Preparations are under way to prepare National Guard members for recovery efforts, but no deployment orders have been given, according to Stephanie Beougher with the Ohio National Guard.

"After the hurricane makes landfall and Florida requests or help, then we'll begin the process of heading down," Beougher said.

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Beougher said should guard members be sent to Southern Florida they will focus on assisting law enforcement agencies

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Since the hurricane has yet to make landfall, Beougher said it is still difficult to determine what tasks guard members could be given.

"They [guard members] could possibly help with security and in helping local law enforcement agencies," Beougher said.

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