Pennsylvania Task Force One returns home after helping Hurricane Ian victims
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Two weeks ago, Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida. The storm ravaged community after community and the recovery process is expected to take quite some time.
Members of Pennsylvania Task Force One returned home Wednesday after their deployment to Florida.
The selfless heroes who make up Pennsylvania Task Force One, which includes at least three K-9 rescue dogs, left Pennsylvania two weeks ago on Sept. 28. After a stop in South Carolina, they headed to Fort Myres beach and Sanibel Islander in Florida.
Both areas were devasted by Ian's ferocity.
"Really devastating destruction," Donna Garrett said. "It was quite something to see just how powerful water can be. Really devastated the entire island, everything."
We need to mention that these aren't first-timers. The vast majority of the task team members have seen their share of natural disasters, and yet, Ian's destruction was among the worst many have ever encountered.
"It was the most overwhelming hurricane situation I've ever seen," Rose Deluca said. "The destruction was, it was unlike anything I've ever seen before."
Deluca and the K-9s under her care -- Vera, Seven and Lunda -- searched for survivors and for deceased bodies in the rubble. They didn't find any, which is both good news and important to the work at hand.
"We eliminate a lot of areas," Deluca said, "and that's a big part, figuring out where people aren't."
But even arriving at that conclusion took painstaking, laborious work.
"One day we walked 11 miles," Philadelphia Deputy Fire Chief Carl Randolph said.
To put that in perspective for those of you who count your daily steps, it's just under 23,000, but they feel it's worth it.
"It was a long trip, but it was good," Brian Booth said. "It was rewarding."
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf was on hand to meet returning task force members, sharing a message that's hopefully received as truly bipartisan.
"Going hundreds of miles to do the right thing for people they don't know, not related to just because it's the right thing to do," Wolf said.
