As Task Force 1 heads home, other Hoosiers head to Florida
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The recovery from Hurricane Michael continued Wednesday in Florida.
Some Hoosier helpers in the hurricane zone are heading home while others are just starting their service there.
The men and women of Indiana Task Force 1 are headed home, some after their third storm of the season. Task Force 1 leader Gerald George and the 15 other members are preparing to head back to Indiana, although they know it will be a long road for the Floridians they leave behind.
“People without power, without food, without water, they’re more appreciative of us just coming and making sure that they’re OK,” Georce said. “The number of people that are thanking us for being here and grateful that we came down here, it’s humbling to us that we would be able to come down here and do what we can.”
George also went to Hawaii for Hurricane Olivia and the Carolinas for Hurricane Florence, but remarked on the differences between Michael and those storms. He said the winds from Michael created a huge swath of damage.
“There’s some areas that are very hard to get to,” he said. “The number of trees down is just insurmountable and getting all of those trees and stuff picked up, cut out of the way, and the power crews to get power back on … they’re doing that in some of the major cities and even around the little city of Marianna where we’re at now. But, it’s going to be some time before people out in rural areas ever have power back.”
While George and Task Force 1 head home, Maj. David Luft with the Salvation Army left for Florida. Luft left Wednesday to help provide emotional and spiritual care.
“Some of these people, maybe it’s the first time that they’ve gone through an experience like this and so they’re looking for someone just to be there,” Luft said.
Luft has taken assignments like this before, like after 9/11.
“Most of that was listening to them and assisting them, and understanding where they’re coming from,” he said. “Who these people are, I don’t know yet. I hope to get to know a lot of people in the next 12 days and to hear their story and to work with them.”
He will provide support for the victims and the first responders.
Both men wanted to thank the people back home for supporting the relief efforts.
“I think our guys would just want to express thanks for the departments and the people that we serve allowing us to have this opportunity away from our jobs to be able to come down here and assist people in their time of need,” George said.