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Florida Crews Sent North To Assist Hurricane Sandy Victims

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – As the gusty winds and harsh rains of Hurricane Sandy pound the northeastern United States; Florida rescue crews have made their way to the area to lend a helping hand to those who will be affected by Hurricane Sandy.

After Sandy wipes out the power of the victims' homes and businesses, the rescue crews will already be stationed and prepared to help.

Specialists from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have joined forces to assist the search and rescue managers in Washington.

After more than a half-million customers were reported without power over the weekend, Florida Power & Light Co. has loaded up nearly 350 trucks and plans on sending them out to Maryland, Virginia, and Washington.

More than 560 employees of FPL are expected to team up with other power companies to help restore power after Sandy passes through the Mid-Atlantic; extra crews may also be sent out to assist utilities in those areas also.

Despite all of the extra effort being put in, FPL officials are not complaining. They said that that they are happy to help the other states because over the years other states have helped Florida's utilities when hurricanes strike

Last week, rescue crews from Georgia were sent to out to help FPL after Sandy's rainfall brushed across the Florida lands.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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