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Ohio state troopers are going to help with Texas flooding rescue and recovery efforts

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Ohio is joining some other states in sending assistance for Texas flooding rescue and recovery efforts, where the Guadalupe River has killed dozens of people, including kids and counselors at a private all-girls Christian summer camp.

Ohio State Troopers load up into the back of a van to travel for Texas flooding assistance.
Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers prepare to leave for Texas to help victims of recent flooding. [Daniel Konik | Statehouse News Bureau]
The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) is headed to Texas, where officers will support search, rescue, and recovery work in Texas following the July 4 flooding disaster. Gov. Mike DeWine called Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over the weekend to offer support from Ohio. The Guadalupe River swelled more than 26 feet in less than an hour early Friday morning, taking away homes and much of Camp Mystic in south central Texas.

Multiple dogs from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, who are specially trained to support search, rescue, and recovery missions, along with their handlers, are also headed toward the Lone Star State.

It wasn’t hard to get troopers to volunteer to help with this effort.

“When we put the request out to our troopers, we had the complete roster filled up within two hours,” said Major David Brown, who announced 20 troopers from OSHP’s Mobile Field Force are expected to be in Texas for one week. He said officers expect to be searching the river basin but will be flexible to switch to other duties as needed.

“However we can assist, whatever that means, and whatever our state and federal partners in Texas need us to do, that’s what we will rise to that occasion and handle,” Brown said.

Brown said troopers take “with great reverence” the job they are being called upon to do. Brown said officers feel the pain of this situation.

The troopers will be leaving for Texas this afternoon. Brown said the goal is for the officers to be fully operational by 6 a.m. Wednesday.