Missouri Task Force 1 deployed for Hurricane Matthew

UPDATE 10/10: According to the official Boone County Fire Protection District Facebook page, Missouri Task Force 1 has been redirected to Lumberton, North Carolina.

Reports say that 1500 people are isolated and/or stranded because of the floodwater as of Monday morning.

ORIGINAL STORY: Missouri Task Force 1 is on its way to Marietta, Georgia to help with Hurricane Matthew recovery along the southeast coast of the United States.

The task force left the Boone County Fire Protection District Headquarters in Columbia around 11 p.m. Thursday night. Traveling with the task force includes 45 crew members, two search and rescue dogs and more than 100,000 pounds of equipment.

Crews are expected to arrive at the Dobbins Air Force Base around 3 p.m. Friday and will receive further assignment.

Assistant Chief Gale Blomenkamp said most of their work will include water rescues.

“Similar to Hurricane Katrina like when we were going to house to house by boat rescuing people off of roofs and out of attics,” he said. “That potential exists when you have a flooding situation of this magnitude.”

Missouri Task Force 1 is one of 10 federal resources activated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist with Hurricane Matthew relief. Others include a FEMA Incident Support Team, Virginia Task Force 1, Virginia Task Force 2, Maryland Task Force 1, Tennessee Task Force 1, Ohio Task Force 1, Pennsylvania Task Force 1, Indiana Task Force 1, and New Jersey Task Force 1.

Blomenkamp said the task force could be gone for as long as two weeks depending on the damage.

“We just keep the people suffering though this hurricane in our thoughts and prayers,” he said. “There has been a tremendous loss of life in Haiti. We hope that we don’t find that situation along the east coast and we just pray that people heed the warning, they evacuate and let our people get in there and work.”

Missouri Task Force 1 was also deployed to New York in 2012 to help with Hurricane Sandy.