Updated October 10, 2018

A search and rescue team from Tennessee has been deployed to Florida ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Michael.

The Memphis Fire Department says the Federal Emergency Management Agency has asked Tennessee Task Force Type 3 to report to Eglin Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle.

The department says a team of 80 firefighters, doctors, engineers and dog handlers departed Tuesday.

The task force will be responsible for wide-area and swift water search and rescue efforts.

At least 120,000 people along the Florida Panhandle were ordered to clear out on Tuesday as Hurricane Michael rapidly picked up steam in the Gulf of Mexico and closed in with winds of 150 miles per hour and a potential storm surge of 12 feet.