TULSA -- When a neighbor needs help, Green County is there to offer it.
Multiple agencies from the Tulsa metro sent crews Monday to south Texas to respond to the devastating flooding from Tropical Storm Harvey.
The Tulsa Police Department sent its Incident Management Team to a town near Houston. Six officers are tasked with setting up a warehouse there, where first responders can come and collect much-needed supplies.
"We'll be looking at generators, supplies like boots (and) gloves," Capt. Brett Bailey, the team leader, said. "Since it's going to be swift water (rescues), we'll be doing ropes, boat equipment, gloves (and) helmets -- anything that the responders will need out on the ground."
Two dozen firefighters and police officers with the Tulsa Urban Search and Rescue Team headed out early Monday morning. Their convoy included four boats and heavy rescue equipment, and they plan to assist wherever they're dispatched once they reach Texas.
The emergency management office in Washington County also sent six people with two inflatable boats to Katy, Texas. They plan to help with water rescues and evacuations and with disaster management in the ongoing response.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol confirmed that it sent two boats along with seven state troopers to Texas. The Air Evac Lifeteam also dispatched a helicopter and a crew from its base in Henryetta to fly south to help however they can.
Animals threatened by the catastrophic flooding will soon get some help from the Humane Society of Tulsa. Several volunteers left Monday afternoon with their large mobile unit to serve as a temporary shelter for pets displaced in the Houston area.
"We train for tornadoes all the time for Oklahoma," Dan Canfield with the Humane Society of Tulsa said, "but a flood is one of those things we do prepare for and it is quite devastating to people with animals."
Most of the crews said they expect their deployments to last about a week, but it could golonger depending on the need for their services.
