Nevada Task Force 1 returns home after Texas flood recovery mission
Elite search and rescue team aided in devastating Kerr County floods that claimed over 130 lives
Members of Nevada Task Force 1 (NV-TF1) are returning to Las Vegas this weekend after completing their deployment to Kerr County, Texas, where they assisted with search, rescue, and recovery operations following catastrophic flooding that struck during the July 4th holiday weekend.
The 47-person team, which includes four K9 units, was deployed on July 8 under Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) orders to help local authorities respond to one of the deadliest natural disasters in Texas history. The floods along the Guadalupe River have claimed at least 136 lives, with 108 confirmed fatalities in Kerr County alone.
Rapid deployment to disaster zone
Nevada Task Force 1 received mobilization orders on the afternoon of July 8 and departed Las Vegas around 6 p.m. that evening. After driving nearly 20 hours straight with rotating drivers, the team arrived in San Antonio at approximately 7:30 p.m. on July 9.
The team established a base of operations in Kerrville, joining three other Urban Search and Rescue teams assigned to the area. Despite the exhausting journey, team members were reported to be “in good spirits and eager to get to work” as they began field operations on July 11.
Nevada’s elite emergency response team
NV-TF1 represents Nevada’s only Urban Search and Rescue Team, drawing personnel from multiple agencies across Southern Nevada. The specialized unit includes:
- Clark County Fire Department (sponsoring agency)
- Boulder City Fire Department
- Las Vegas Fire and Rescue
- Henderson Fire Department
- North Las Vegas Fire Department
- National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) fire department
The diverse team composition includes paramedics, communications specialists, structural engineers, logistics technicians, and a medical doctor, along with specially trained K9 units capable of both search and human remains detection.
Devastating Texas floods
The Central Texas floods began on the morning of July 4 when the Guadalupe River rose approximately 26 feet in just 45 minutes following heavy rainfall. The disaster was caused by a mesoscale convective vortex combined with tropical moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry.
Kerr County, which lacks a dedicated flood warning system despite previous proposals citing the area’s high flood risk, was particularly hard hit. The flooding affected numerous riverside communities, camps, and recreational areas popular during the holiday weekend.
Federal response criticism
The deployment of federal Urban Search and Rescue teams came under scrutiny, with CNN reporting that FEMA did not authorize deployments until at least Monday evening, July 8 — days after the initial flooding and after any victims had been found alive. This delay frustrated some FEMA officials and raised questions about the federal response timeline.
Despite these challenges, multiple teams from states including Nevada, Missouri, Colorado, Arizona, Indiana, and Ohio converged on the disaster zone to assist local first responders who had been working around the clock since the floods began.
Mission completion
Nevada Task Force 1’s deployment represents the continued commitment of Southern Nevada’s emergency responders to assist communities nationwide during disasters. All costs associated with the deployment were covered by FEMA, ensuring no financial burden on local jurisdictions.
The team’s return marks the end of nearly three weeks of grueling work in difficult conditions, searching flooded areas, assisting with recovery operations, and supporting local authorities in one of Texas’s deadliest natural disasters.
As climate events become more severe and frequent, specialized teams like NV-TF1 play an increasingly critical role in national emergency response, bringing expertise and resources to communities devastated by natural disasters.
Image Sources: https://news3lv.com/news/local/nevada-task-force-1-returns-home-after-aiding-texas-flood-recovery-efforts
Category: State News
Subcategory: Emergency Services
Date: 07/28/2025
