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Maryland First Responders Headed To Texas To Help Harvey Relief Efforts

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- On Monday, the governor of Texas activated all 12,000 members of the Texas National Guard, members of the American Red Cross, a specialized search and rescue team- along with the Baltimore County Fire Department are on the way to Texas.

As flood-ravaged Texas continues to get drenched by Tropical Storm Harvey, a cavalry of help is on the way from here in Maryland.

"We've deployed a total of four personnel to support the operations in Texas," says Division Chief Ken Hughes with Baltimore County Fire.

Four members of the Baltimore County Fire will help with search and rescue efforts, as well as provide medical support. Two members left Sunday, and two others are currently on the ground in Texas.

Members of the Maryland Task Force 1 packed up and headed out to Texas also on Sunday. The American Red Cross says about 100 volunteers from Maryland are on the ground in Texas.

"This is a significant storm. This is a storm that we haven't seen in many, many many years," says Scott Salemme with the American Red Cross. Officials say they'll need even more to help with the expected 30,000 victims in Harvey's path.

"They were evacuated from Rockport with nothing but what they were wearing," says Rich Scanlan.

Scanlan is running a shelter in Austin. Many of those he's now helping are from south Texas, where Harvey made landfall.

Volunteers say they're preparing for a long recovery effort.

"It's going to take an entire community, an entire nation to help everybody that's affected," says Scanlin.

With Harvey now expected to take aim at Louisiana, the Red Cross says they are now pre-deploying assets there as a precaution.

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