LYNCHBURG, Va. – Members of the Lynchburg Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue Team are back home after being deployed to Buchanan County for the second time in less than a year.
The team was called on Wednesday to assist with the catastrophic damages that occurred there as a result of flash flooding and landslides.
Twelve volunteers were tasked with wide area searches and assessing damages to homes and vehicles.
The team also assisted in the search of submerged vehicles along the banks of the Dismal River.
“We’re thankful that we have that talent and that capability to be able to assist communities like Buchanan. We’re even more thankful that nobody was hurt and that there were no fatalities,” Lynchburg Fire Chief Greg Wormser said. “Our hearts go out to those though that are still going to be dealing with this kind of issue for really the next several days, if not weeks, as they begin to rebuild and clean up.”
The rescue team is a partnership between the City of Lynchburg and the Commonwealth and is similar to the Federal Emergency Management Agency Teams that work on both national and international emergency responses.
The Lynchburg team deployed with a variety of specialized equipment that assisted with the challenges of the area’s terrain and situation.