Missouri Task Force 1 Finishes Southeast Flood Mission, Heads Back to Boone County

Missouri Task Force 1, an urban search and rescue team sponsored by the Boone County Fire Protection District, concluded its operation in southeast Missouri after historic flooding in Reynolds and Iron counties. The team arrived on Friday and carried out systematic searches of more than 100 damaged homes, over 90 campers and 120 vehicles, working by boat and on foot despite extreme heat and humidity.

The district’s Disaster Situational Assessment and Reconnaissance team mapped more than 1,500 acres and gathered over 6,000 aerial images using drones and GIS, helping incident commanders allocate resources. Missouri’s State Emergency Management Agency and the Missouri Disaster Medical Assistance Team provided damage assessments and medical aid. The task force is slated to return to Boone County on Monday, with Fire Chief Doug Westhoff saying, "We’re proud to have had the opportunity to assist our fellow Missourians during this historic flooding event."