As hundreds of thousands head north to escape Hurricane Irma, a local company is gearing up to travel into the areas of Florida that could be the hardest hit when the storm arrives this weekend.

A team with Servicemaster by Lewis Construction is planning to arrive in the panhandle Wednesday, a few days after the brunt of the storm is expected to hit, said Kevin Wyndham, managing partner for the company.

The company has commercial and residential clients in Florida, most of whom are based out of Ohio, Wyndham said.

He will fly to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and survey the businesses and homes for damage before the crews arrive in box trucks loaded with supplies, Wyndham said.

The trucks will contain everything the crews need personally and professionally — cases of water, 20 to 30 cans of gasoline, detergents, antimicrobial cleansers and personal protection gear, Wyndham said.

Wyndham has planned several alternative driving routes in case they encounter blocked roads and located housing all over the state, even as far north as Hilton Head, S.C., in case accommodations in the area don’t work out.

But planning how long they will be there and how much work they will have is unpredictable, Wyndham said.

“You never know with these storms. We have to be very fluid with our plans,” Wyndham said.

This isn’t Wyndham’s first time responding to the aftermath of a hurricane. He went to New York and New Jersey after Hurricanes Sandy and Irene and to South Carolina following Hurricane Joaquin, he said.

“You see things that you normally only see on TV. It borders between chaos and mayhem. For some people who aren’t trained, it can be very traumatic and emotional. You see people’s houses and businesses destroyed; it’s sad,” Wyndham said.

“And you get a really quick education about what people’s lives must be like when they don’t have clean water and electricity,” Wyndham said.

In many storms, the sustained winds do the most damage. Many windows and roofs are trusted to last in 120 mph winds, not 155 to 175 mph, as predicted with Irma, Wyndham said. The water damage often happens after the structure has been compromised.

Also locally, Tree Trimmin Express and Mosquito Lake Marina will be accepting donations 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily to fill a large trailer with items like water, bleach, canned food and paper products to take to Florida, according to the marina’s Facebook page. They are also looking for boxes and people to help load the truck. The trailer is at the marina inside Mosquito Lake State Park.

rfox@tribtoday.com