KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Firefighters from the Kansas City metro area arrived back in town Tuesday after carrying out search and rescue operations for several days in flood-worn Texas following Hurricane Harvey.
One Kansas City Fire Department captain said the team of 18 helped get more than 100 Texans to safety.
"We got sent out for searches in neighborhoods, and of course the ones we were in still had five feet of water," explained KCFD Captain Chad Dailey. "We were able to boat right down the street, and [for] many houses, we took boats up to the front doors."
Members of KCFD, Central Jackson County Fire Protection District and the Shawnee Fire Department helped in Texas.
All the agencies towed boats to the Houston area, which ended up being critical equipment for their mission.
"As for how widespread it is, that's what's hard to wrap your mind around," Dailey said. "Unless you drive through that city and neighborhoods and see how many people are affected, it's not just one community, it's a whole city."
In the moment, crews admitted they focused on the task of rescuing people. Now back in the metro, they feel some gratification for their work.
"As for the people of Houston who were affected, they were happy to see us and we felt like we were able to make an impact and help them out," Dailey said.
They'll now keep a close eye on Hurricane Irma. The group can respond to the east coast if the hurricane makes landfall on a U.S. shoreline in the coming days.
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