AI-assisted summary
Florida Task Force 8, a search-and-rescue team, responded to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 for their first large-scale activation.
The team has since assisted in nearly every major southeastern disaster, including Hurricane Dorian, Hurricane Helene, and the Surfside condo collapse.
The team remains dedicated to serving their community and making a positive impact despite the lasting memories of tragic events.
As Herb Ennis moved through the wreckage, he found an older man searching for his wife.
The couple had climbed into their attic, holding hands, as floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina rose around them. Then the water surged through.
“He hadn’t seen her since,” Ennis said. “But he had one of her shoes. He showed it to us and said, ‘These are what she had on.’ ”
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