Missouri Task Force 1 operation expected to end by Monday afternoon
Alison Patton
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Boone County Fire Protection District’s Missouri Task Force One has been supporting statewide flood response operations in Reynolds and Iron counties, where flash flooding overwhelmed roadways, campgrounds and waterways following historic rainfall.
BCFPD Chief Doug Westhoff said search teams are moving segment by segment along the Black River.
“There are four segments of that area of the river that they’re working on. They just subdivided it. Two of the four that they’re focused on today are between 75 and 90% complete. The other two on the far north end and far south end of the river will be checked tomorrow,” he said.
Westhoff adds that while moving through the segments, crews are documenting property damage and making sure no survivors are left behind.
“We have to run those river banks and all of the places that could have been impacted by that high water to make sure that we don’t have people that are impacted, that maybe didn’t have any form of communications or any way to ask for help,” he said.
Friday, a specialized helicopter team with the task force assisted in the evacuation of over 100 campers from Camp Taum Sauk in Reynolds County.
Westhoff said that roads were blocked in the area, with the only way out of the camp being by air.
“They were isolated, and the roads were all damaged, so it was an airlift operation by the Missouri Guard, and we had a couple of rescue technicians who were on board one of those aircraft that helped facilitate that exact situation,” he said.
Westhoff expects the task force to wrap up operations within the next few days.
“Well, it is purely just an estimate; for tomorrow’s operational period, we will not have state or mutual aid assets. So it may slow the workload just a little bit, but we feel confident that by tomorrow or midday Monday, we should have things wrapped up,” he said.
In Crawford County, the missing woman who was swept away by flood waters yesterday has been located.
According to a Crawford County Sheriff’s Office press release, Faith Gregory was found dead 1.8 miles downstream from her residence around 11:30 Saturday morning.
Assisting the sheriff’s office in the search were the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Steelville Fire Protection District, and Quad County Fire Protection District. The Crawford County Coroner later arrived to recover the victim.
“This is not the outcome that any of us were hoping for. Our thoughts and prayers are with Faith’s family, friends, and all those affected by this tragic loss,” the office said in a press release.
The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office also took the time to thank the emergency personnel who spent countless hours on the hazardous search operation, as well as the community members who provided them with refreshments.
The sheriff’s office said that out of respect for the family’s privacy, no additional information about the search will be released at this time.