Colorado crews share update from search of Guadalupe River after devastating Texas floods
KERR COUNTY, Texas (KRDO) – Members of Colorado Task Force 1 (CO-TF1) worked to search a lengthy stretch of the Guadalupe River Monday as part of the team's continuing efforts in Texas after this month's devastating floods.
According to CNN, overnight storms on July 3 brought more than a summer’s worth of rain to Kerr County, causing the Guadalupe River to swell into dangerous and deadly floodwaters.
With at least 132 people killed by the catastrophic floods and scores still missing, crews have remained tirelessly at work in central Texas – including Colorado Task Force 1, which was dispatched to the region on July 7, just days after the flooding.
According to the latest update from CO-TF1, the team completed a primary search of both sides of an eight-mile-long stretch of the Guadalupe River on Monday.
The task force said that there are still some sections of the main channel left to check, but continued rain and rising water levels are making that challenging.
The team, aided by specially-trained search canines, also began working to search some of the tributaries that feed into the river Monday.
"This is extremely detailed work, as there are thousands of piles of debris littered all along the river," CO-TF1 said.
The task force has partnered with local law enforcement, heavy equipment crews, ambulance crews, a fire crew, four saw teams, and other search teams from both South Carolina and Oklahoma.
A drone operator is also assisting with operations, CO-TF1 said, helping the team check areas they're physically unable to reach.
33 more Colorado crew members were sent to the region Monday to help CO-TF1 with search and rescue operations, and are expected to join in the search today. The team now has 81 members and five canines, CO-TF1 confirmed.
Thunderstorms are expected to continue today, making search efforts difficult as rivers continue to swell.
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