Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Utah Task Force 1 has been mobilized to south-central Georgia in preparation for Hurricane Milton, poised to assist in search and rescue operations.
- The team, having just completed recovery efforts in Tennessee after Hurricane Helenes flash floods, faces hazardous conditions, including chemical and flammable threats.
- Bryan Case, program manager, highlighted the emotional challenges and commitment of the team to provide closure for affected families, drawing parallels to devastation seen during Hurricane Katrina.
SALT LAKE CITY — As Hurricane Milton approached Florida, Utah Task Force 1 headed to south central Georgia Tuesday to stage for search and rescue operations that will likely be needed in the days ahead.
The team was activated on Sept. 27 and has spent the last week in Unicoi County, Tennessee, where the area was devastated by a flash flood along the Nolichucky River caused by Hurricane Helene.
"Upriver, the dam had failed and caused just an unbelievable flash flood in this community; as a result, we were dealing with damage to structures. We were searching debris piles for humans or human remains," Utah Task Force 1 program manager Bryan Case said.
Case said Utah Task Force 1 rescuers have encountered dangerous conditions during their recovery efforts, from unstable debris piles to hazardous materials.
"There's chemicals, there's flammable material, all kinds of dangerous things in the water, as well as particulate matter in the air," Case said.
The work Utah Task Force 1 1 is doing is dangerous and exhausting, but Case says team members stay motivated for the devastated families in the community.
"When you are trying to provide closure to families who've maybe lost their home or lost a loved one and you get to interface with them, it really is impactful," he said.
Case has been a member of Utah Task Force 1 for more than 25 years and has responded to dozens of disasters. He compares the conditions caused by Helene to those of Hurricane Katrina, and he worries about what Milton could do to the region next.
"It's tough to see the scope and the magnitude of the devastation that comes through these types of events," he said. "Hopefully we can move right in on the tail end of that storm (Milton) and immediately begin assessing damage and work to help people. "
In terms of how Utah Task Force 1 team members are doing after 11 days of deployment, Case says they're doing well. He says no team member has been injured during search and rescue operations, and their emotional health is strong.
"We monitor everybody's health, not just physical, but their emotional well-being as well. We have trained people to help inside our team; some of the members have trained with peer support, so we take advantage of that," he said.
Utah Task Force 1 could be sent into Florida as early as tomorrow. Currently, Hurricane Milton is forecasted to make landfall as a Category 5 storm.
"It's important that we are there as soon as possible," he said.
