Missouri Task Force 1 heading to Georgia for Helene

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri Task Force 1, the Columbia-based urban search and rescue team, was activated Wednesday to help with the response to a brewing hurricane.

The team is being sent to Georgia ahead of Hurricane Helene, which is forecast to hit the Big Bend area of Florida as a Category 3 storm on Thursday, according to a Boone County Fire Protection District news release. Missouri Task Force 1 is based at the fire district headquarters.

The team will stage with other task forces and receive mission assignments after the storm passes, the release says. The team is also part of the FEMA Incident Support Team.

Task Force 1 will go to Georgia with 45 people, more than 100,000 pounds of equipment and two search dog teams. They're expected to arrive in Atlanta early Thursday.