Task Force 1 helping with searches in Fort Myers Beach after Hurricane Ian
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Missouri Task Force 1 has moved from Fort Myers, Florida to nearby Fort Myers Beach as it helps with Hurricane Ian recovery work.
Task Force 1 -- Missouri's urban search and rescue team headquartered in Columbia -- was assigned to Fort Myers on Monday but has since been sent to Fort Myers Beach, according to a Boone County Fire Protection District Facebook post.
The team is based out of the fire district's headquarters.
The Fort Myers area was hit particularly hard when Ian came ashore near there as a Category 4 hurricane last week.
The team was going house-to-house on Tuesday searching for victims and survivors and documenting damage. A second Task Force 1 team of four drone specialists was on its way to Fort Myers Beach on Tuesday to help with mapping, assessing damage and searching.
The drone team had been on hard-hit San Carlos Island on Monday, where they found more than 300 boats pushed into yards, homes and mangroves, according to the Facebook post. The team used drones to search every boat.
The drone team recorded the boats' registration numbers, which helped authorities verify that all the captains and crews were accounted for, the fire district said.
