Hurricane Ian made its way past Cuba, through central Florida, and up the East Coast of the United States over a period of nearly one week. Growing from a tropical storm into a deadly Category 4 hurricane as it made landfall on the western Florida coastline, Ian crept slowly over land, wreaking havoc as it moved. Even after weakening in the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Ian then turned up the Eastern seaboard, continuing to bring with it rain and flooding along the way.
Three SDF-trained search teams responded, both in advance and in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian to help communities in need, serving as a stark reminder of just how important the training and preparation is for these canine disaster search teams so they are ready to respond when they are needed most.
See photos from this deployment and a chronological timeline below:
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
SDF-trained search team Karen Meadows & Jax have deployed with 35 members of Virginia Task Force 2 to stage in the southeastern United States, ahead of Hurricane Ian. As the Gulf Coast and much of the western coastline of Florida brace for Ian’s impact, multiple federal task forces stand by to assist once the storm passes through.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
In the wake of Hurricane Ian, SDF search team Shawn Hall & Manion (Virginia Task Force 2) have been activated to join fellow SDF team Karen Meadows & Jax and task force teammates to assist communities devastated by the storm. Ian slammed into Florida as a Category 4 hurricane, dumping rain, causing a massive storm surge and sustained winds of 150 mph, destroying much of what was in its path. Ian has since dissipated into a tropical storm, but is now taking aim at South Carolina and Georgia as it moves slowly up the Eastern seaboard.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 3
SDF-trained human remains detection team Ed Ruiz & Harper (California Task Force 2) have deployed to Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. They will be joining many other canine teams, including fellow SDF-trained live-find teams Shawn Hall & Manion and Karen Meadows & Jax (Virginia Task Force 2) on this deployment. With many coastal towns still without power and drinking water, rescue crews are moving as efficiently as possible to help those in need. Sadly, the death toll in Hurricane Ian’s wake has risen to at least 100 today, with much ground still to be covered.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6
Though Hurricane Ian has dissipated in the northeast, it left a wide swatch of destruction in its wake and hundreds of rescuers are working tirelessly to help those in need. While three SDF-trained search dogs, both live-find and human remains detection, are deployed, there are many more also helping those communities affected by this devastating storm.
In this video, you can see how efficiently Search Dog Jax navigates a very large, complex debris field in what used to be a neighborhood while Handler Karen Meadows directs him to cover various areas, ensuring no one is left behind. Seeing Jax in action shows just how incredible this former shelter dog, and many others like him, really are and the amazing work they can do. This is exactly why we train rescued dogs like Jax to be rescuers—changing lives, both human and canine.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 10
After 15 days in Florida, all canine teams demobilized and returned home. Though those that answered the call for help did all that they could, there are still many in need of assistance and our hearts go out to them and to all affected by this storm.
The many days of searching homes ripped from their foundations, boats washed farther inland than most think possible, and streets now unrecognizable and covered in debris can become a blur in the midst of such widespread devastation. However, much like the resilience and determination we look for in our search dogs, many human rescuers worked day in and day out until they completed their mission.
Thank you all for your service.