Two Coast Guard H-60 helicopters from Air Station Cape Cod, similar to this one, are on scene in the Houston, Texas area.
BOURNE – Coast Guard crews from Air Station Cape Cod continued to make rescues Monday in flood-ravaged Texas in the wake Hurricane Harvey, which roared ashore this past weekend as a Category 4 hurricane.
Record-breaking flooding has devastated wide sections of the Houston area and communities along the Texas coastline.
Three Cape-based Coast Guard crews responded even as the storm was still pounding the region. Equipment on scene includes two H-60 helicopters and a fixed wing Sentry aircraft, with their corresponding crews.
During a briefing at Air Station Cape Cod in Bourne Monday afternoon, Commander Peter Evonuk said their mission was simple, “save people that are stranded in the flood water.”
Evonuk said they got the call on Friday to send the crews south.
“This is why you join the Coast Guard, to effect rescues of this type,” said Evonuk.
He said it was a “great feeling” to be rescuing people. By late Monday morning, Cape-based crews had been involved in rescuing 24 people from surging floodwaters.
On scene, Evonuk said their crews are reporting large areas impacted by the storm, with many neighborhoods flooded to the roofs of homes, and others nearby not impacted as badly.
“Mass devastation brings out the good in all of us to help out the greater community,” he said.
The equipment and crews from Air Station Cape Cod represents 50% of their assets. One helicopter and two fixed-wind aircraft remain to handle local emergency calls.
Evonuk said crews from around the nation had to respond quickly, putting assets in the air and on the ground in Houston within hours.
At least 45 Coast Guard aircraft from around the nation as taking part in the rescue operations.
