Phoenix rescuers headed to Texas to assist with historic flooding

Despite the more than 1,000 miles between Phoenix and the Texas towns affected by Hurricane Harvey, a number of organizations in the Grand Canyon State have deployed resources to aid those caught in the path of the storm.

Hurricane Harvey smashed into the Texas coast Friday night as a Category 4 storm. Though it had weakened substantially by Saturday, causing the National Weather Service to downgrade it to a tropical storm, weather and emergency officials warned of  "catastrophic" flooding as the slow-moving storm lingered in the region. 

Arizona Task Force 1 was planning to deploy Saturday night.

According to Phoenix Fire officials, 80 members of the Phoenix Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue Team, including several civilians, have been deployed to Texas.

The team is expected to arrive in Rosenberg, Texas, site of a recent massive sinkhole caused by Hurricane Harvey, on Monday evening. They will be partnered with another unit out of California and will be staying in tents at a local fairground, officials said.

The specialized team, mainly comprised of experienced firefighters and police officers, had been put on alert by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is overseeing the response to Harvey. 

They will serve as "rescue specialists," while they help local jurisdictions provide relief to victims of the storm. The team will take 12-hour shits at a time, doing whatever they can to help. 

Phoenix Fire Department Chief Kara Kalkbrenner confirmed in a tweet Saturday morning that AZ-TF1 was being readied to assist after the storm.

"We have been contacted by FEMA that we should be in the ready state," said Rob McDade, a spokesman for the team. "Our urban search and rescue team works under the umbrella of FEMA."

Most of the members of the team have at least 15 years of experience in special operations and regularly assist with incidents around Phoenix. 

These are the people hanging from helicopters, doing moutain rescues and working in confined spaces such as the sewers, McDade said. 

"These are senior members who routinely work in the city," he said. "They train once a week, some of them twice a week. Most of them have 15, 20, 25 years with the department, with special ops."

"This is not their first rodeo," McDade said. "[These men worked] Katrina, 9-11, Oklahoma City. They bring a lot of experience. "We would hope that we could lend some very valuable skills."

The Arizona National Guard deployed more than a dozen guard members and four helicopters to Texas. They were awaiting orders to determine how they could best assist.

Nine Phoenix volunteers, along with 14 others from throughout the state, are also scheduled to travel to Texas over the coming weeks as part of a response effort by the Arizona branch of the American Red Cross. 

“Our core mission is on full display today as volunteers and staff from our region respond to help our neighboring Red Cross regions that will be impacted in Texas,” said Colin Williams, the regional communications officer for the local chapter in a statement. 

Saturday morning, David and Connie Icenhower packed their bags for Houston. 

Volunteers with the American Red Cross for more than 20 years, the Phoenix couple have responded to serious flooding in Texas before. But even as they checked the engine oil and performed a final inspection on their emergency response vehicle, uncertainty loomed as Hurricane Harvey churned 1,100 miles away. 

"They could locate us anywhere along the Gulf Coast depending where the needs are," David Icenhower said. "We don't go in with an expectation. Once you do that, you'll be unpleasantly surprised because everything's a continually changing environment." 

Nine Red Cross volunteers from Phoenix planned to deploy this weekend. That's in addition to first responders from a host of emergency agencies around the country — a rescue effort that will likely span weeks as clearer understandings emerge about the needs and damage. 

Hurricane Harvey roared into Texas Friday night as a Category 4 storm. Though its winds weakened substantially by Saturday, weather and emergency officials were warning of  "catastrophic" flooding as the slow-moving storm lingers in the region. 

Downed trees, damaged roads and flooded streets were already being widely reported by midmorning, and officials said the situation would only worsen as time goes on. 

David Icenhower has been involved in Red Cross operations since 1975 while in Puerto Rico. Connie Icenhower worked for the group in the 1990s, and they have volunteered more since their four daughters left home. 

It's a 17-hour drive to Houston under ideal conditions, David said. Once in the area, they could serve food, distribute drinking water, offer shelter or help conduct damage assessments. 

And they are there to listen, Connie said. 

"If anything else, we have time to give," she said.

Other groups help

The U.S Customs and Border Protection teams from Arizona have arrived in Texas to assist in rescue efforts, the agency said.

The team  consists of 12  air crew members, five support personnel and three agents who have been trained in swift-water rescues. 

To help with the rescue, 50 special operations detachment agents will be sent on Tuesday to help with public safety

The Salvation Army's southwest division, which includes Arizona,  has deployed 42 mobile kitchens that can each feed an estimated average of 1,500 meals per day. 

To help with the Salvation Army rescue efforts. people are encouraged to make monetary donations instead of in-kind donations.

the monetary donation would allow the responders meet the needs without having to worry about the costs associated with packing and distributing the in-kind goods.

Online: helpsalvationarmy.org or donate by phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY