Harrisburg, PA – Today, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency announced that 45 members and support personnel from Pennsylvania-Task Force 1 will deploy to North Carolina to support response operations in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Debby. The group is scheduled to report to Raleigh, where they will receive more detailed orders.
"Today, 45 members of PA-Task Force 1 were deployed to North Carolina to support federal response operations in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Debby,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “My Administration is proud to support federal response operations with this elite search and rescue team to assist first responders. Our Commonwealth stands ready to help North Carolina — and any state that's affected by this storm — get back on their feet."
“This storm is bringing historic flooding to parts of the Atlantic Coast of the United States,” said PEMA Director Randy Padfield. “We are ready to support our fellow Americans both now and during their recovery in the weeks and months ahead.”
According to the National Weather Service, the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby will likely bring heavy rain to much of Pennsylvania Thursday night into Friday, although heavy rain from storms yesterday has already caused flooding in some areas. Residents are encouraged to review family safety plans and monitor local forecasts and weather conditions for details on potential flooding and severe weather over the next few days.
PA-TF1 is one of 28 teams that are part of the National Urban Search and Rescue Response System and is a federal resource that can quickly be mobilized to deploy to incidents anywhere in the country. The team is sponsored by the Philadelphia Fire Department.
The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency is also monitoring the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) system for requests for assistance. EMAC is a formal agreement that allows all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands to share resources, such as personnel or equipment, during disasters. All costs associated with an EMAC deployment are paid by the requesting state.