Missouri Task Force 1 deploy to Texas ahead of Hurricane Beryl

BOONEVILLE, Mo. (KOAM) — FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) is preparing ahead of Tropical Storm Beryl making landfall in Texas have activated Missouri Task Force 1.

MO-TF1 deployed from Boone County Fire Protection District Headquarters at 10 a.m. Saturday morning. The target is to arrive in College Station, Texas in about 24 hours.

Tropical Storm Beryl is expected to intensify to hurricane strength. Estimates are it will make landfall in South Texas on Monday.

“ Missouri Task Force 1 has been activated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to deploy as a type III task force which is 37 members plus 10 ground support personnel with an emphasis on water rescue capabilities. MO-TF1 will meet Tennessee Task Force 1 in College Station, Texas, where both teams will stage. From there they will receive mission orders as needed .”

Missouri Task Force 1 deployed three members Friday as part of a FEMA Incident Support Team.

These three members are filling the rolls of:

1. Operations Section Chief
2. Communications Unit Leader
3. Hazmat Specialist

They are also working out of College Station, Texas.

JOPLIN AREA MISSOURI TASK FORCE 1 MEMBER REPORTED FOR DEPLOYMENT

Jeff Turner is a retired Joplin Fire Captain. Currently he is a Carl Junction, Mo. Firefighter and the Chief of Girard, Kan. Fire Dept.

He has been a member of Missouri Task Force 1 for years. He tells us he was alerted Friday evening and was in Booneville to leave by 10 a.m. Saturday as they all caravan to Texas.

MO-TF1 are ready in a matter of hours when FEMA calls. Their past deployments include.

• World Trade Center New York 2001
• Space Shuttle Columbia Texas 2003
• Hurricane Isabel, Virginia 2003
• Hurricane Dennis, Mississippi 2005
• Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana 2005
• Hurricané Emesto, Atlanta 2006
• Hurricane Dean, Texas 2007
• Hurricane Dolly, Texas 2008
• N.S.S.E., R.N.C., Minnesota 2008
• Hurricane Ike, Louisiana 2008
• Hurricane Sandy, New York 2012
• Colorado Floods, Colorado 2013
• Hurricane Matthew, North Carolina 2016
• Hurricane Harvey, Texas 2017
• Hurricane Florence, North Carolina 2018
• Hurricane Michael, Florida 2018
• Hurricane Dorian, South Carolian 2019
• Hurricane Laura, Texas 2020
• Hurricane Sally, Louisiana 2020
• Hurricane Delta, Louisiana 2020
• Hurricane Ida, Louisiana 2021
• Kentucky Tornado, Kentucky 2021
• Kentucky Floods, Kentucky 2022
• Hurricane lan, Florida 2022
• Hurricane Idalia, Florida 2023
• Hawail Wildfires 2023

Watch for updates as we follow Mo-TF1 on their deployment to Beryl.