Missouri Task Force 1 returns home from southeast Missouri flooding mission

The 25-person crew with the Missouri Task Force 1 arrived at the Boone County Fire Protection District Headquarters Sunday afternoon after spending more than a week helping with flooding in the southeast part of the state.

The State Emergency Management Agency deployed crews to West Plains on April 28 ahead of the severe flooding.

“Our crews were tasked with some rescues, some welfare checks,” Assistant Chief Gale Blomenkamp said. “And then just some humanitarian missions where they were just checking on people that were either landlocked or locked off by road closures.”

Their missions included helping with evacuations in Annapolis, Ellington and Thomasville. In Thomasville, crews rescued two adults and two children from their roof.

The last time the Missouri Task Force 1 was deployed was on Oct. 6 to assist with relief efforts from Hurricane Matthew.