Haiti Earthquake Response Joined By Fairfax County Rescue Team

FAIRFAX, VA — VA-TF1, the urban search and rescue team from Fairfax County, arrived safely Sunday night in Port-au-Prince, Haiti to assist in the rescue effort following Saturday's earthquake, according to posts on the team's official Twitter account.

VA-TF1 brought 65 people, four canines and more that 52,000 pounds of tools and equipment, as part of the U.S Agency for International Development's disaster response team, which was already on the ground.

Haiti's Civil Protection Agency reported Sunday 1,297 people had died and at least 5,700 were injured after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake shook the island late Saturday night, according to the Associated Press.

More than 7,000 homes were destroyed and almost 5,000 were damaged. Hospitals, offices, schools and churches were also affected, AP said.

Tropical Depression Grace's impeding arrival, which is expected to reach the island Monday night, is hampering rescue efforts. The island's residents can expect high winds, heavy rain and rough seas, as well as landslides and flooding.

The Associated Press assisted in the reporting of this story.

HAITI UPDATE: the search and rescue team (@ffxfirerescue & @VATF1) has arrived in Haiti to help search for survivors. The team includes 65 people, 4 canines + 52K pounds of tools & equipment. They’ll be joining our USAID disaster response team already on the ground. pic.twitter.com/Ufx9dcs9az
— USAID (@USAID) August 16, 2021

USA-1 team members boarded their plane and are wheels up to #Haiti as a part of the @USAIDSavesLives Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART).@ffxfirerescue @USAID pic.twitter.com/gbcRd9V5mC
— VA-TF1 / USA-1 - Urban Search and Rescue (@VATF1) August 15, 2021