Indiana Task Force One Returns from Heartbreaking Flood Mission in Texas
The world watched in horror in early July as torrential rain created destructive flooding along the Guadalupe River in Kerr County, Texas, leaving a trail of heartbreak in its wake.
As that area continues to put the pieces back together and recover, many Hoosier first responders got to see the aftermath up close and personal.
Indiana Task Force One wrapped up a 20-day deployment to Central Texas at the end of July. Comprised of first responders from across the state, with many coming from Central Indiana, including the Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD), White River Township, and the Bargersville Community Fire Department, to name a few.
“Initially, in any disaster, the first few hours are where the first responders rescue those people who are still alive and may be trapped under debris,” says IFD Division Chief and Task Force One Program Manager Tom Neal. “While we never want to say it’s a recovery mission, by the time we got there, we were doing wide area searches for those folks who were still reported missing.”
Neal was part of the second wave from Task Force One to deploy to sections of the Guadalupe River, which spans 230 miles across Texas. An initial group of 45 people left July 8, with additional resources putting boots on the ground on July 13 after federal and state emergency management officials determined there was a need for additional personnel.
Eighty members of Indiana Task Force One were deployed in total, including two live find K-9 officers initially. “The K-9 officers are trained to find those people trapped in the debris,” Neal says. The two K-9s and their handlers were eventually sent home and replaced by FEMA cadaver-sniffing dogs to aid with search and recovery.
“The river was segmented into 12-mile sections, where response teams from across the country were assigned to aid with search and rescue efforts,” Neal says. “Initially, we were in Delta Division, which is southeast of Camp Mystic, then moved to Echo Division, further downriver, and finally at Charlie Division, more than two weeks after the flooding began.”
According to ABC News, at least 27 people were killed when flood waters overwhelmed Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp sitting along the Guadalupe River in Hunt, Texas.
Task Force One members waded through hundreds of miles of mud and water in the stifling Texas heat to try to bring closure to families waiting for word on the whereabouts of their loved ones.
“We train for this,” says Neal. “Our hope is always to find survivors, but the other part of our job is to bring their loved ones home. We try to do our best in that regard.” Neal says Task Force One was able to help a grieving family find peace regarding the whereabouts of a loved one, which is never an easy task, but necessary after a natural disaster strikes.
Indiana Task Force One returned home to their families near the end of July.
Post-deployment, responders go through a rigorous post-operation rehabilitation process.
“We’ll double-check all of our equipment to identify anything that needs to be replaced, repaired, or sanitized,” says Neal. “We are always preparing for a return to readiness so we can answer the next call to help.”
At press time, two people were still unaccounted for from Task Force One’s initial search and rescue mission. “We felt like there was still work to do,” Neal says. “Thankfully, there are still rescue personnel on the ground to recover those remaining souls who need to be returned to their loved ones.”
Former in 1992, Task Force One is one of 28 Urban Search and Rescue teams across the United States. Sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Task Force One has become synonymous with answering the call to aid when disasters strike, including the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and the aftermath of 9/11 in 2001. Throughout its history, the team has deployed 65 times to disasters across the United States and its territories.
Indiana Task Force One does accept donations. Anyone interested can email Chief Neal at thomas.neal@indy.gov for more information. To learn about Indiana Task Force One’s history and how Hoosier first responders can apply, visit indy.gov/activity/indiana-task-force-1-in-tf1.
