Springfield’s Convoy of Hope and Missouri Task Force 1 heading to Texas ahead of Tropical Storm Beryl
BOONE COUNTY, Mo. (KY3) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has asked the Missouri Task Force 1 to deploy to Texas ahead of Tropical Storm Beryl. Southwest Missouri’s Convoy of Hope also sent a couple team members down to the Caribbean to help out.
We got updates on how both Missouri Task Force 1 and Convoy of Hope are doing currently.
“Our guys and gals down there are just getting prepared. They’re getting all their equipment checked out ready to go. They’re rearranging things in trailers and vehicles and getting positioned in place so in a moment’s notice, if they call for a water rescue or call for assistance our guys and gals are ready to go at a moments notice,” said Boone County Fire’s Gale Blomenkamp.
“Currently we are in St. Vincent. We made this trip today. We are going to be meeting with partners in the next couple days. We have been in communication with them so they are in the process of setting up the partnerships to make sure we can get local purchases running,” said Christian Rodriguez with Convoy of Hope. “Then we can quickly put together food kits to send to effected areas like Petite. St. Vincent, and Union Island.”
According to the Boone County Fire Department, the task force has been deployed as a Type 3 Team, meaning there will be 37 members plus 10 ground support personnel with an emphasis on water rescue capabilities. The Missouri Task Force will meet the Tennessee Task Force 1 in College Station, Texas, where both teams will stage.
“Missouri Task Force 1 has also deployed three members as part of a FEMA Incident Support Team. These three members are filling the rolls of Operations Section Chief, Communications Unit Leader and a Hazmat Specialist. These members will also be working out of College Station, Texas,” the fire department said.
The task force arrived in College Station Sunday afternoon.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center predicted late Friday that Beryl would intensify on Saturday before making landfall, prompting expanded hurricane and storm surge watches.
“There is an increasing risk of damaging hurricane-force winds and life-threatening storm surge in portions of northeastern Mexico and the lower and middle Texas coast late Sunday and Monday,” the center warned.
Texas officials warned the state’s entire coastline to brace for possible flooding, heavy rain, and wind as they wait for a more defined path of the storm. On Friday, the hurricane center issued hurricane and storm surge watches for the Texas coast from the mouth of the Rio Grande north to San Luis Pass, less than 80 miles (128.75 kilometers) south of Houston.
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