After saving thousands, Austin firefighters return from Tropical Storm Imelda rescue efforts

AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin Fire Department and other agencies worked hard in southeast Texas and helped save around 1,500 people.

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“A huge statewide effort, these teams came together and did marvelous work,” said Division Chief Palmer Buck with the Austin Fire Department. “Our crews, unfortunately, have gotten a lot of training and a lot of experience in the last four years because the state of Texas has seen a number of floods.”

The Austin Fire Department sent six members to deal with the damage from Tropical Storm Imelda. The storm dropped near-record amounts of rain in southeast Texas.

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“Navigating flood waters and swift water with our rescue boats and making evacuations and rescues where we need to be, but as a state resource, we’re there to help fix problems,” said Buck. 

Buck said it won’t be the last storm they’ll be sent to, but are glad to help the state of Texas.  

“For the most part now, it’s all recovery, and those people in southeast Texas have ways to go, but when we left they were making great strides to get back to normal,” said Buck. 

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