TAMPA, Fla. – Project DYNAMO, a veteran-led nonprofit organization, which conducts humanitarian search-and-rescue operations domestically and internationally, has wrapped up hurricane relief missions in Florida in the wake of the destruction left behind by Hurricane Milton.
The operations, called Operation Big Guava and Operation Sunshine Storm, were instrumental in the response to the deadly hurricane. Operation Big Guava focused on the Tampa area, while Operation Sunshine Storm was aimed at helping residents throughout the rest of the state who were impacted by the storm.
Of the many highlights of operations, Project DYNAMO team members rescued a man from a car, which had become mostly submerged in flood waters. The team then towed the vehicle to dry land and gave the man a ride home after helping him to safety. Team members also helped with pre-storm evacuations, including helping to evacuate 11 dogs from a dog boarding facility in Apollo Beach.
On Thursday morning, immediately after the storm had blown through, DYNAMO team members cleared downed trees in roadways across east Pasco County. That effort allowed first responders, including Florida State Highway patrolmen, who had no way around the blocked roads, to be able to respond for duty to disaster relief operations. 
Over the weekend, Project DYNAMO team members traversed over a mile through a deeply flooded neighborhood in Wesley Chapel and made contact with residents who requested assistance. The team hauled a Jon boat on foot through the neighborhood to bring 20 filled sandbags to line the entry ways of the resident’s home to help prevent further flood damage. Additionally, the team conducted several welfare checks in the neighborhood alongside the Florida National Guard and Pasco Sheriff’s Office.
Furthermore, team members from Project DYNAMO helped people clear downed trees from driveways so they could evacuate their homes. They also started generators and delivered fuel to those in need.
On Sunday, Project DYNAMO team members zipped along Florida’s Gulf Coast using a team member’s boat, docking in Manasota Key, Englewood and North Captiva to conduct welfare checks on residents.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the Project DYNAMO team for their work over the past several weeks,” said Project DYNAMO President and CEO Mario Duarte. “We first left our homes and our families and deployed to western North Carolina in the beginning of October to conduct search-and-rescue efforts on horseback after Hurricane Helene, only to return to southwest Florida, where many of our team members live, to immediately begin Hurricane Milton relief efforts. Our recent efforts prove that when danger strikes, Project DYNAMO always responds, and responds fast.”
Project DYNAMO, which also works internationally, has volunteers still conducting relief operations in North Carolina and currently has ongoing rescue operations in the Middle East, where Americans in the region face the prospect of an escalating war.
Those wishing to request an evacuation or to contribute to Project DYNAMO can do so at projectdynamo.net/.
Founded during the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan in 2021, Project DYNAMO is an international search, rescue, aid and assistance 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Tampa, Florida with worldwide operations. Project DYNAMO operates where the United States government cannot, or does not. The primary objective of Project DYNAMO is to provide assistance to those impacted in disaster areas and conflict zones throughout the world. Notably, Project DYNAMO conducted the first air-rescue missions from Afghanistan after the Taliban took control, and has negotiated the release and exfiltrated numerous Americans from captivity and false imprisonment.
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