COLUMBIA, Mo. — Members of Missouri Task Force 1 returned home after spending days searching and rescuing people following Hurricane Ian.
The team was deployed to the Fort Myers area for 12 days.
While in Florida, the team worked on Fort Myers Beach. The group said it was one of the hardest hit areas. They saw boats pushed into houses and buildings and cars and debris all over the island.
Members spent days using heavy machinery to dig through debris piles looking for victims. They also searched hundreds of buildings and vehicles while there.
The task force said there are buildings that are no longer standing on their foundations and instead in piles. Another member described the damage as some of the worst he’s ever witnessed.
The crew worked in tandem with other emergency responders and a drone team to identify and search areas where victims may have been located.
The following pictures were provided by members of Missouri Task Force 1 during their deployment.
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 4, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 4, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 4, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 4, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 4, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 4, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 4, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 4, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 5, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 5, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 5, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 5, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 5, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 5, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 5, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 6, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 6, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 6, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 6, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 6, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 6, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 9, after Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy: Missouri Task Force 1 | Search and Rescue Team working in Fort Myers, Florida, Oct. 9, after Hurricane Ian
Additional members of Missouri Task Force 1 are scheduled to participate in a deployment exercise next week in Georgia.