Ohio Task Force 1 returns home after aiding in historic Texas flooding search
Ohio Task Force 1 search team manager David Kelley said, 'The whole nation came together. I was working with people from New York, Nevada, California, Idaho, Illinois, everywhere.'
Public memorial set for slain Lorain police officer Phillip Wagner Wednesday in Cleveland
After assisting Texas amid historic flooding during the 4th of July holiday, members of Ohio Task Force 1 are now back on Ohio soil.
Personnel were deployed as part of FEMA's coordinated urban search and rescue response.
Devastating storms and flooding swept through Central Texas, the worst in Kerrville.
In Dayton on Monday afternoon, members said it was a mission both physically demanding and emotionally challenging.
The first wave of the team left Ohio on July 11, including two human remains detection canines and a search team manager.
Unwavering support for slain Lorain Officer Phillip Wagner
The second group, consisting of several additional K-9 specialists, joined them on July 18 as flooding intensified.
At least 27 campers and staff members from a nearby campsite died in the rapidly increasing waters.
Ohio Task Force 1 is one of 28 FEMA urban search and rescue teams nationwide, often called upon during hurricanes, floods and natural disasters.
This time, canine handler and their dogs played a critical role in locating victims and bringing closure to grieving families.
11-year-old boy stabbed in Cleveland: police
More than 130 people died as a result of the historic flooding that swept across the region.
The returning team members, some from Northeast Ohio, will now begin the process of reuniting with their families and debriefing from deployment.
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