Indiana Rescue Crews, Organizations Send Help For Hurricane Harvey

HOUSTON, TX — Indiana Task Force officials report crews are working alongside other local, state and Federal teams to provide aid and resources for ongoing Hurricane Harvey rescue efforts throughout the Houston, Texas area. A 14-member Indiana Task Force-1 water rescue team arrived in San Antonio, Texas Monday to provide support, according to INTF-1 officials. INTF-1 said the team brought six rescue boats as resources, and traveled overnight to Texas after departing from Indianapolis Sunday evening.

In addition to this group, officials said seven members of INTF-1, made up of four Hazmat Support Team members and three Incident Support Team (IST) members, left for Texas Friday and are working under the direction of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

But unlike INTF-1 crews, a number of Houston residents who left town for the weekend are unable to get into the city to check on their homes, and are being flown into other airports or driving to other cities. Natalie Hogan, a four-year Houston resident, said she had to fly in to Dallas after spending the weekend in Miami, Florida. Hogan was born and raised in the Indianapolis area before moving to Houston after college, where she teaches eighth grade students.

However, she's well aware of what's going on in the city she's called home the last four years. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Indianapolis Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts and LIKE Indianapolis Patch on Facebook).

"School is closed all week," Hogan said. "We've had some heavy rain before and have had school or work cancelled for a maximum of two days, but this is just not normal."

Hogan, who's currently staying with her boyfriend and his family in Dallas, said it's unclear when the two of them will be able to drive back to Houston.

"Many interstates are under water, more rain is expected this afternoon," Hogan said. "Lots of people are checking in, which is comforting. I'm glad i'm in Dallas."

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As of Monday morning, the INTF-1 Hazmat support team continues to work in the Katy, Texas area, to help teams go through areas impacted by the storm, using Hazmat equipment, according to a release.

On Monday, the group encountered two vehicles in high water, one occupied by a family of six, and the other occupied by one person, officials report. The group, who mainly take care of Hazmat situations, removed the passengers from their vehicles and transported them to safety, according to a release.

INTF officials also report two IST personnel are assisting from Texas Task Force 1 Headquarters in College Station and the other is with FEMA in Washington, DC.

"We are preparing a full 84 person team in the event FEMA places that request," Captain Mike Pruitt, Wayne Township Fire Department, said in a release. "Current responders on the ground will need to be replaced with fresh personnel to reduce fatigue. When the water recedes, the flooded areas will have to be searched on foot. This will be a huge undertaking."

More information and updates: @IN_Task_Force_1 ‏

Top Image: Local apartment residents cross high water on North Braeswood Blvd to escape the flooding from Hurricane Harvey August 28, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Harvey, which made landfall north of Corpus Christi late Friday evening, is expected to dump upwards to 40 inches of rain in areas of Texas over the next couple of days.

(Erich Schlegel/Getty Images)