17-07-2025
Ohio Task Force 1 helping with search and recovery efforts after Texas floods
CLEVELAND (WJW) – A specialized team from Ohio Task Force 1 has been deployed to assist in search and recovery operations in Central Texas.
The deployment, requested by Texas emergency officials, includes three highly trained team members and two canines, specifically skilled in Human Remains Detection (HRD).
'Unfortunately, HRD stands for human remains detection. These dogs are trained to smell specific odors from a body that has passed,' said Chris O'Connor, spokesperson for Ohio Task Force 1.
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The team arrived in Texas late Friday and began field operations early Sunday morning, joining a multi-agency effort to locate roughly 100 individuals still unaccounted for. So far, the death toll has risen to at least 134.
Severe weather has complicated recovery efforts. Lightning and rising floodwaters have forced temporary pauses in the search.
'They encountered weather issues where inclement weather caused them to pull back,' O'Connor said. 'And on the second day, it happened again.'
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Even in the face of these challenges, the team remains focused.
'They look at it as a form of closure for the families and the communities,' O'Connor said. 'That's the pride they take in their job—the ability to do something very, very difficult.'
O'Connor added the team is prepared to stay as long as Texas needs them.
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