LINCOLN, Neb. — Members of Nebraska Task Force 1 returned to Lincoln on Tuesday to a welcome home reunion, greeted by family members holding signs and offering hugs after a deployment to south Texas during severe flooding in the area.
The team was stationed south of San Antonio, where they were utilized more for reconnaissance and preparation than rescue efforts. They worked to survey flooded areas, identify boat ramps and areas of concern, and help local residents and first responders prepare for incoming floodwaters.
“Identifying where like the boat ramps are, where the areas of concerns are due to like the flood mapping and where we would have to take a look at if the rescues were to occur. We were pre-staging, pre-planning in those areas,” said Ashley Engler, Nebraska Task Force 1 program manager and team leader for the deployment.
Engler said helping locals feel secure was one of the most meaningful parts of the mission.
“I think that the fun is really more so seeing the locals being secure and knowing that somebody is there for them that they haven’t seen before, and that to us meant more. We were able to talk, went door to door, talked to local people in the community, and they were able to have conversations,” Engler said.
The team’s work was well received. The Live Oak County Office of Emergency Management responded to a Nebraska Task Force 1 Facebook post.
It was a genuinely great experience working with the Nebraska team. Y’all helped give us a great foundation of Emergency preparation and successfully eased the residents of Live Oak County. Anyone would be lucky to have your crew.
Engler said the locals still have more flooding to come, but being part of the initial process to help them prepare was important for the team.
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