AUSTIN, Texas — As Hurricane Laura pummels through East Texas and Louisiana, first responders from the Austin area have deployed to the area to assist.
Here is a list of the departments sending resources to help areas in the path of Laura:
Austin Fire Department
According to AFD, 13 members of the department – including six for a boat team, two helicopter rescue personnel and five urban search and rescue specialists – deployed as part of Texas A&M Task Force 1 to rendezvous with other personnel from across the state in anticipation of Tropical Storm Marco's landfall.
On Aug. 26, the AFD said six more members were heading to NRG Stadium in Houston will they will stand by as needed as the storm leaves the Gulf Coast. These members will help make up a Strike Team and a Saw Module, who will assist in resolving storm damage to the affected areas.
Austin-Travis County EMS
Austin-Travis County EMS has deployed 13 of its members of the department in support of the response to Marco. ATCEMS is sending an ambulance bus and crew, including seven personnel; a swift water rescue boat, including three personnel; one task force leader; one medical support team member; and one ambulance staging manager.
Kyle Fire Department
The Kyle Fire Department sent six firefighters to help with the aftermath of the storm. Before moving to affected areas, the firefighters were seen getting rest in the parking lot of the NRG stadium in Houston.
Texas Department of Transportation
Crews with the Texas Department of Transportation headed to the Beaumont area to help clear hurricane debris and repair damaged signals and signs.
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This help comes after Gov. Greg Abbott issued a State of Disaster declaration for 23 Texas counties amid the impending landfall of the storm.
During the briefing, Abbott announced he has declared a State of Disaster for 23 Texas counties, including the 22 coastal surge counties as designated by the National Weather Service, as well as Bexar County for the purposes of staging and sheltering. He also requested that President Donald Trump issue a federal emergency declaration for those 23 counties. On Monday, Aug. 24, Gov. Abbott announced that President Trump granted his Federal Emergency Declaration request for Public Assistance Category B (Emergency Protective Measures).
"Texas is grateful to President Trump and our partners at FEMA for quickly granting this Federal Emergency Declaration," said Gov. Abbott. "As Tropical Storms Marco and Laura head towards the coast, the State of Texas is working with local and federal partners to ensure our communities have the resources they need to respond to these storms."
The counties included in the disaster declaration are:
- Aransas
- Bexar
- Brazoria
- Calhoun
- Cameron
- Chambers
- Galveston
- Hardin
- Harris
- Jackson
- Jasper
- Jefferson
- Kennedy
- Kleberg
- Liberty
- Matagorda
- Newton
- Nueces
- Orange
- Refugio
- San Patricio
- Victoria
- Willacy
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