OH-TF1 crew members spent Wednesday completing training and checking equipment ahead of the hurricane making landfall. The team was requested to respond to the Fort Pierce, Florida area that evening as multiple tornadoes hit the eastern side of the state.
Twenty-eight members and four K9s left within minutes as a Quick Response Force, according to OH-TF1. Planning members mapped the operation area as the crew moved across the state so the QRF could get to work immediately.
Around 10 p.m. Wednesday, the team was told to shelter at a local high school as storm conditions worsened.
Early Thursday, OH-TF1 was requested near Port Saint Lucie, Florida, at a community that was hit by tornadoes from hurricane.
“The team worked to rescue trapped or injured persons, locate missing persons and document structural damage,” according to an OH-TF1 post on social media. “A dog rescue was even accomplished. Over 250 structures were searched and only three escaped damage. Sixty-six structures were completely destroyed while 96 suffered major damage.”
“The community was hard hit by multiple tornados,” said Task Force Leader Adam Landis. “The damage was intense. I was really proud of our team on so many levels as they worked cohesively to clear structures and find those missing. Our hearts go out to the people of Port Saint Lucie and all those affected.”
The team returned to its base of operations in Orlando around 6 p.m. Thursday and continued to prepare for the next mission.
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