OH-TF1, Matthew 25 committed to continuing Texas flood efforts
Both Ohio Task Force One and Matthew 25 Ministries said their focus right now is the search for missing people and supporting the loved ones of those families.
Officials with OH-TF1 said the team is assisting in the continued search for nearly 200 people who are still reported as missing.
The task force, which deployed a specialized three-person K-9 team, is working on this joint mission with 14 other teams from across the country.
Officials said weather continues to be a concern. Task force members have battled persistent rain, lightning and flood waters as they work.
Matthew 25 Ministries is offering free laundering services, where families can drop off items at a mobile unit and pick them up cleaned in 24 hours.
They said that after a disaster, clean clothes can make a big difference in the lives of families.
'Access to clean clothing might not be the first thing that comes to mind,' said Katie Schimmoeller, director of disaster relief with Matthew 25. 'But it really is such a need for people to have that access to clean clothing and have that little bit of normalcy.'
The group said it is depending on continued support from local communities to help impacted families get through the day-to-day while they figure out their next steps.
'We responded to the Dayton tornadoes a few years ago, so we know that the community knows what it means to be a personally impacted by disaster,' said Schimmoeller. 'We're always amazed with how people continue to pay it forward that have been through challenging situations. I was really grateful for all of the support we received within the Dayton community.'
Both groups said they are committed to the long process of recovery that will happen over the next several months.
'But even once our immediate team leave the area, we will continue to work long term,' said Schimmoeller. 'We understand this will be a very long recovery effort and we are there to help the needed.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
26 minutes ago
- CBS News
South Florida sees return of triple-digit "feels like" temps
Scattered showers and a few storms, some with heavy downpours, moved across parts of South Florida on Thursday morning. It was a warmer start to the day with temperatures in the low to mid 80s, it felt like the low to mid 90s when the humidity was factored in. The chance of rain will be higher for the first half of the day. In the afternoon, the rain will be steered toward the inland areas and the West Coast due to an onshore breeze. Highs will climb to the low 90s in the afternoon and it will feel like the upper 90s and 100s when you factor in the humidity. There is a moderate risk of rip currents along the Atlantic beaches and the UV index is extreme. There are no alerts or advisories for boaters along the Atlantic and Florida Keys waters. Unseasonably strong high pressure will bring hotter and drier conditions to South Florida beginning Friday and it will last through the weekend. With drier air in place, the chance of rain will stay low on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It will be sizzling with highs soaring to the low 90s. Dangerous heat indices in the triple-digits will be possible. The National Weather Service says it may issue its first heat advisory of the season. Residents in South Florida are encouraged to take the necessary precautions to avoid heat exhaustion and heat illness. Stay hydrated, drink plenty of water, stay in the shade or AC during the afternoon hours or take frequent breaks if you need to be outside over the next few days. The CBS Miami NEXT Weather team is tracking an area of low pressure over the northern Gulf which now has a low potential (30% chance) of developing over the next seven days. Regardless of development, this system is expected to bring heavy rain and the potential for flash flooding along the north-central Gulf coast through Friday.
CBS News
26 minutes ago
- CBS News
Former pro baseball player Chase Childers dies trying to save swimmers off South Carolina
A former professional baseball player and father of three died while trying to save swimmers from a rip current off the coast of South Carolina on Sunday, authorities said. Chase Childers, who was briefly signed by the Baltimore Orioles, entered the water around 4:45 p.m. to help a group of four or five swimmers as they struggled against the current off Pawleys Island, a coastal town roughly 45 minutes south of Myrtle Beach by car, according to the Pawleys Island Police Department. "He died trying to save others," the police department said of Childers, who had gone into the ocean with another person. Childers was the only swimmer missing when authorities arrived at the scene, according to police. Around 6:15 p.m., after a search by officers, fire officials and members of the U.S. Coast Guard, his body was recovered. Childers was a Major League Baseball player drafted to the Baltimore Orioles in 2009, according to the league. He went on to play minor league baseball before later serving for several years as a police officer in Cobb County, Georgia, according to a GoFundMe campaign created to support Childers' family. Rip currents are powerful channels of water that flow rapidly and are often seen along all coasts of the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration writes on its website, noting that these currents can move at speeds of up to 8 feet per second. Swimmers risk drowning when they fight against rip currents while trying to return to shore, according to NOAA. The National Weather Service warns that they are the deadliest and most common hazard swimmers face in waters off North and South Carolina. "The Town is saddened by the report of the drowning over the weekend. We pray for the family members and offer our condolences," wrote Pawleys Island Mayor Brian Henry in a social media post, acknowledging reports that suggested a rip current caused the drowning. He said the town "urges caution when entering the water at any time and alertness of the ocean's currents, particularly during high surf." A town council in Pawleys Island will evaluate ways to reduce the risks of future drownings, including by educating tourists about rip currents and the potential threats they pose, Henry added. "While Pawleys Island beaches are consistently rated as some of the best on the entire East Coast, we would like them to be known as the safest as well," he added.
Washington Post
26 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Why this D.C. summer is so miserably humid and stormy
It's been a broken record. Every morning when Washingtonians venture outside, they are immersed in suffocating humidity, like stepping into a sauna. Then, in the afternoon and evenings, thunderstorms erupt, fueled by the saturated air. The repeated downpours have triggered flooding — and unleashed swarms of mosquitoes. D.C. area residents are growing weary. To blame is a tropical weather pattern — drawing near-record amounts of moisture from the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico — that has settled over the Mid-Atlantic, the same one responsible for deadly flooding from Texas to New Jersey. National Weather Service reports indicate July has featured twice the normal number of floods across the country, and the agency has issued flood watches in record numbers for the D.C. area. The onslaught that began in June may not fade until early next week when humidity levels may ease slightly. But, even then, it's not clear if the change will be sustained. 'This has been the worst summer, I am so tired of the storms and the flooding and the MOSQUITOES that are EVERYWHERE because of it,' Dax Murray wrote on the social media platform Blue Sky. 'This has to be some sort of sick joke,' Capital Weather Gang reader John Lindsey added on X Wednesday after the National Weather Service issued its 15th flood watch since May. Summers in Washington are known for their humidity, but this one ranks among the muggiest in recent decades. Humidity is often measured by the dew point, the temperature to which air would need to cool to reach saturation. Dew points at or above 70 degrees are considered sticky and uncomfortable. From June 1 through July 16, dew points in D.C. reached 70 or higher for 573 hours, second-most on record since 1945, only trailing 1994 (603 hours). The 15 flood watches issued by the Weather Service since May are by far the most in a three-month period since 2007 when such data became available. The seven watches in June were the most issued in a single month. Already, six have come out in July, and more than a third of the month remains. D.C. has received 7.79 inches of rain since June 1, which is just slightly above normal. However, many parts of the region have received substantially more. Thunderstorms tend to be hit or miss, and summer rainfall totals often vary widely over a small geographic zone. Since May, which was also quite wet, much of the region has received 2.5 to 5 inches more rain than normal. The benefit of the frequent deluges has been the end of the drought. As recently as early May, moderate to severe drought covered much of the region. Now, it affects only portions of far northeast Maryland. A large dome of high pressure over the Atlantic Ocean, often referred to as the 'Bermuda High,' has been the primary driver of the muggy, wet weather pattern. It has remained stuck in place while persistently pumping steamy air westward and northward over the eastern and central United States while halting the eastward progression of cooling fronts. Ocean temperatures beneath the high-pressure zone are abnormally warm, intensifying the moisture transport. Meanwhile, the jet stream — or high-altitude air current that sometimes dips southward and draws in cooler air from Canada — has remained too far north to send cold fronts southward. But, lurking over the Great Lakes and Northeast, it's been close enough to supply energy for thunderstorms. This uncomfortable, tempestuous weather pattern is poised to last until at least early next week. After that, the pattern may start to change, though not necessarily in a welcome way. The Bermuda High may fade and another zone of high pressure — or a heat dome — may build over the Southeast United States and expand north into the Mid-Atlantic in seven to 10 days. That would lower storm chances and perhaps take a slight edge off the humidity. The high humidity and considerable cloud cover generated by the current weather pattern have held temperatures somewhat in check. The highest temperature so far this month is just 95, whereas upper 90s or even low 100s aren't uncommon at this time of year. But, should the upcoming pattern change materialize, we may trade oppressive humidity for punishing heat.
