Texas A&M VET, AgriLife Deploy To Chambers County For Imelda Flooding
Click here to read about the VET’s first deployment this month to Cameron County.
Members of the Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) hadn’t even put their feet back on the ground in College Station before receiving a second deployment request for assistance related to the catastrophic flooding resulting from Tropical Depression Imelda.
Twenty-one VET members will be joined by three agents from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in providing veterinary medical assistance in Chambers County, where flooding from Imelda is reportedly worse than it was during Hurricane Harvey.
There, the team will assist in caring for animals evacuated to an emergency shelter and anticipate doing field-based work as flood waters begin to recede.
“The Texas A&M University System will once again be building on the combined strength of its entities through the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ (CVM), Texas A&M AgriLife, and the VET in responding to this disaster,” said Dr. Wesley Bissett, VET director and associate director of emergency management. “The VET has worked in Chambers County before—during Hurricane Harvey—and it is always a privilege to serve the people and animals of Texas during their time of need.
“The animals affected during disasters are inherently worth our efforts, and we’re thankful that Texas counties are committed to a robust emergency response for animals,” he said.
The team will depart College Station Friday morning, and students on the CVM’s Community Connections fourth-year clinical rotation will join the team on Monday.
The VET is anticipating additional requests for assistance following Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declaring a state of emergency in 13 counties.
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Contact Information: Jennifer Gauntt, Interim Director of CVM Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Science; jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu; 979-862-4216
