Members of Minnesota task force share firsthand account of deadly Texas flooding aftermath
Search teams from around the country, including Minnesota, stepped up to help with search and recovery efforts after the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes.
Minnesota Task Force 1, made up of primarily five agencies, just returned from a two-week mission in Texas. Now, team members are sharing their firsthand accounts of the natural disaster — both of heartbreak and heroism.
"It's hard to process just how much water went through there in such a quick amount of time," search manager Brian Plantz said. "The amount of devastation and destruction down there is hard to describe. I was surprised to see the number of family photographs that we would find."
Team members searched both sides of the river for about 100 miles with the help of their K-9s.
"The dogs were rockstars; they were outstanding. Having the K-9s there to partner with, to have them able to clear those piles and definitively say that we can move past this, we can say there's no human remains inside that pile, was just critical to the mission," Plantz said.
The dogs suffered fire ant bites and even a broken toe, but continued. Together with Task Force 1, they helped a community find some of what was lost.
"The community down there was so appreciative of us and other task force members that were down there for the search and rescue," Plantz said.
The team will have a few days to decompress, but members say they're ready for the next mission.
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Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
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Here's a description from the email, written by fruit expert David Karp: 'Silver Logan at its best is the best white peach, the peer of Snow Queen nectarine; parentage unknown; discovered by Mabel Logan, Cedar Ridge, Calif.; introduced 1965 ... . It has milky white skin blushed with crimson, white dense, buttery freestone flesh, a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, and a honey-like aroma.' A perfectly ripe peach or nectarine or plum is for eating fresh out of hand. But there are only so many one can eat whole (even if it's a lot). Look for seconds (fruit that doesn't meet cosmetic standards but is still delicious), which cost less, to use for cooking and baking. Some other local stone fruit purveyors include Regier Family Farms, K & K Ranch, Tenerelli Orchards and Masumoto Family Farm, famous for its Suncrest peaches, the inspiration for Mas Masumoto's book 'Epitaph for a Peach.' Sure, you could make a pie. But what is summer's ultimate dessert? That would be ice cream. My sister gave my niece an ice cream maker last Christmas, a pink Cuisinart that she pulls out after dinner to churn milk, cream, sugar and vanilla into her nightly frozen dessert. She's 8 years old, and she reminded me how easy it is to make ice cream. There are easy no-churn methods too if you don't have an ice cream maker. Or you could make a frozen peach or nectarine soufflé, a raspado with jammy plums, or peach and orange blossom honey popsicles. Here are eight easy frozen treat recipes. Eating out this week? Sign up for Tasting Notes to get our restaurant experts' insights and off-the-cuff takes on where they're dining right now. Gently cooked peaches and peach liqueur are added to the custard for this frozen peach soufflé, a recipe from former L.A. Times Food editor Russ Parsons. Because it's a custard base, the result is both rich and subtle: The flavor is 'a delicate peaches-and-cream start followed by a haunting aroma of fruit that lingers.'Get the recipe. 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You can substitute the plums with another tart stone fruit such as peaches or apricots; their natural pectin creates a jammy compote that begs for a drizzle of condensed the recipe. Cook time: 1 hour plus 4 hours freezing time. Serves 4 to 6. Puréed peaches are mixed with vanilla, rosé wine and just enough sugar to sweeten. Very thin peach slices and fresh raspberries are added to each popsicle mold for a touch of color and added flavor. Get the recipe. Cook time: 20 minutes. Makes about 15 popsicles. This technique skips the ice cream machine. Diced pieces of fruit are frozen, then blended into a purée and folded with mascarpone or crème fraîche. It takes just another 20 to 30 minutes to freeze the resulting mixture, and if it becomes too solid, you just blend it again before serving. Parsons says he learned this method from Sicilian chef Ciccio Sultano, who has a Michelin two-star restaurant in Ragusa and once worked at the now-closed Valentino in Santa Monica. 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CBS News
30-07-2025
- CBS News
Members of Minnesota task force share firsthand account of deadly Texas flooding aftermath
Crews in central Texas are still combing through debris, nearly a month after the tragic floods on July 4, which left at least 135 people dead. Search teams from around the country, including Minnesota, stepped up to help with search and recovery efforts after the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in 45 minutes. Minnesota Task Force 1, made up of primarily five agencies, just returned from a two-week mission in Texas. Now, team members are sharing their firsthand accounts of the natural disaster — both of heartbreak and heroism. "It's hard to process just how much water went through there in such a quick amount of time," search manager Brian Plantz said. "The amount of devastation and destruction down there is hard to describe. I was surprised to see the number of family photographs that we would find." Team members searched both sides of the river for about 100 miles with the help of their K-9s. "The dogs were rockstars; they were outstanding. Having the K-9s there to partner with, to have them able to clear those piles and definitively say that we can move past this, we can say there's no human remains inside that pile, was just critical to the mission," Plantz said. The dogs suffered fire ant bites and even a broken toe, but continued. Together with Task Force 1, they helped a community find some of what was lost. "The community down there was so appreciative of us and other task force members that were down there for the search and rescue," Plantz said. The team will have a few days to decompress, but members say they're ready for the next mission.
Buzz Feed
21-07-2025
- Buzz Feed
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