Colorado task force returning home from Hurricanes Helene, Milton recovery work

DENVER ( KDVR ) — A Colorado task force is heading home after weeks of helping with hurricane recovery in states on the East Coast.

Colorado Task Force 1, one of 28 Federal Emergency Management Agency Urban Search and Rescue teams across the country, was deployed to the East Coast in early September when Hurricane Helene was expected to be a Category 4 storm.

The group, made up of fire departments, traveling doctors, structural specialists, K-9 handlers and civilians, helped out in Tennessee, Florida and North Carolina . The 45 responders spent 16 to 18 hours a day assessing structures after the natural disaster .

During their time on the East Coast, they were also able to find a woman from North Carolina who had been missing since Hurricane Helene. The crews said they were able to find the woman using the help of both live search and Human Remains Detection K-9s.

The crew also spent time in Florida after Hurricane Milton . After over three weeks of volunteer work, West Metro Fire announced that the team was released from their assignments and they were on their way back to Colorado.

The department said that they should arrive sometime on Monday.

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