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Missouri Task Force One Deploys for Texas to Lend Emergency Support

Missouri Task Force One set a course for the Texas coast on Friday as one of the eight state task forces deployed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

The task force deployed a team that departed from the Boone County Fire Protection District Headquarters with over 100,000 pounds of equipment in tow, according to a statement by the Fire District.

The National Hurricane Center classified Hurricane Harvey as a Category 2 storm Thursday night. Harvey is predicted to make landfall late Friday night or early Saturday morning.

The group expects to arrive in San Antonio later in the day on Friday. Of the 47 personnel on the Type III team, 10 are ground support and 14 are swift water rescue technicians.

FEMA activated Missouri Task Force One after 9 p.m. on Thursday, said Gale Blomenkamp, Boone County Fire Protection District Bureau Director.

Blomenkamp said the team had originally planned to travel to Nebraska over the weekend for a training exercise. Consequently, the task force had to unload the training equipment and reload the equipment needed to travel to San Antonio. The team left by 2:30 a.m. on Friday.

Among other state task forces deployed are Ohio, Utah, California, Tennessee, Nebraska, Indiana and Colorado, according to the Fire District.

Supervising editor is Liv Paggiarino.