Indiana Task Force One returns

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Emotions are still running high along the northeast as people struggle to rebound from Hurricane Sandy.

Members of Indiana Task Force One have returned home.

Matthew Haggard and his grandparents waited patiently for their loved one to return. Haggard’s mom, Beth Haggard, is a medical specialist with the 80-member crew.

They spent ten days helping Sandy Victims. But Matt says it felt much longer.

“The week was so long,” he said. “I thought it was a month.”

Beth, who was deployed during Hurricane Ike, said this mission was different.

“Having more face to face time with the residents. We don't get to have that much time talking to people,” Haggard said.

The task force searched the streets of Long Island for possible fatalities. For a change, they delivered good news letting residents know it was ok to stay home. Many just wanted to talk.

The hardest part for many in the group, like Mike Pruitt, was not being able to do more.

“People need a lot of things and we don’t always have what they need immediately,” Pruitt said, while showing a map of the area they covered. “Not having something for them to pull out of our pocket and truck is tough.”

The crew is home for now. But if, and when, the next call comes they will be ready. Even though it means leaving loved ones behind.

“We walk away to go do what we are trained to do, but without the support of our families we couldn't do this,” Beth Haggard said.