Hurricane Dorian: NoVA Search And Rescue Team Activated

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Virginia Task Force 1, an urban search and rescue team based out of Fairfax County, has been activated by FEMA ahead for Hurricane Dorian.

There is no initial word on where the 80-person team will be deployed. The Hampton Roads-based Virginia Task Force 2 is headed to Florida. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management sent an incident management team and emergency to assist Florida's emergency management team and a logistics liaison to FEMA.

Hurricane Dorian became a major Category 3 hurricane on Friday afternoon and is expected to make landfall somewhere on Florida's east coast at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

According to the National Hurricane Center's 5 p.m. Friday update, "life-threatening storm surge and devastating hurricane-force winds are likely along portions of the Florida east coast by early next week, but since Dorian is forecast to slow down and turn northward near the coast, it is too soon to determine when or where the highest surge and winds will occur."

Virginia Task Force 1 has approximately 200 members consisting of firefighters and paramedics as well as highly trained civilians such as physicians, canine handlers, structural engineers, communications experts and heavy rigging specialists. The task force has been involved in domestic and international disaster responses. Last year, members were deployed to assist with efforts during Hurricane Michael in Florida's Panhandle, Hurricane Florence in North Carolina and Hurricane Lane in Hawaii.

Patch will provide additional updates on Virginia Task Force 1 as they come.

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