South Carolina Task Force 1 Deploys to Texas for Flood Recovery

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has authorized the deployment of South Carolina Task Force 1 (SC-TF1), the state's Urban Search and Rescue team, to assist Texas with response and recovery efforts following severe and deadly flooding. The deployment includes a K-9 Search and Rescue Mission Ready Package with five personnel and two human remains detection K-9s, coordinated through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), a national mutual aid system. This aid was requested directly by Texas Governor Greg Abbott during a phone call with Governor McMaster, underscoring the long-standing mutual support between the two states. The mission is supported by South Carolina Foothills Search & Rescue, a Greenville-based organization, and all personnel and K-9s have undergone rigorous national-level training and certification. South Carolina has a strong history of assisting other states during natural disasters through EMAC, having previously coordinated aid for incidents in Kentucky, Florida, California, Alaska, and now Texas. Officials emphasize South Carolina's readiness and commitment to providing disaster response support wherever needed.