LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Kentucky-based logistics disaster firm is responding to not one, but two major disasters in Texas right now.
What You Need To Know
- Emergency Disaster Services is based in Lexington
- The Kentucky-based firm is the largest logistics disaster firm in the U.S.
- EDS sent crews to respond to two major disasters in Texas last week
- The teams responding in Galveston and Houston will remain on the ground for some time
Lexington’s Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) is the largest logistics disaster firm in the country, said Matt Daley, the group's director of communications and logistics. EDS deploys teams and fleets of equipment to help in major manmade and natural disasters.
A barge broke loose from a tugboat May 15 and hit the only bridge that connects a small island off Galveston with the rest of mainland Texas. The bridge collapse is not only causing issues for people living in the area, but also led to a 2,000-gallon oil spill.
EDS sent about 20 people to help with immediate relief efforts and expects to send more as time goes on. Relief efforts could last up to six months – or even longer – for the Kentucky-based group.
Just a day after the barge crash, nearby Houston was hit with tornadoes, initially leaving about a million people without power as they face flooding and a heat wave.
EDS has a team of about 50 on the ground there now, setting up base camps to feed and support linemen from across the U.S. who’ve traveled to Houston to restore power throughout the city. That effort could take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month minimum, Daley said.
“For us, it’s a point of pride that when we respond, it’s nearly 100% of all Kentuckians who are employed by EDS,” Daley said. “Although there is a local response and there’s a need to hire other individuals on the ground, we’re proud that the truck drivers are coming out of Maysville, Kentucky, Flemingsburg; they’re coming from the central Kentucky area."
"We have folks out in far western Kentucky who are part of this response, so we’re very proud that we’re able to employ those individuals. They, like us, take a lot of pride in this work. It takes a lot to pack a bag and stay a long time away from your family, but that’s the kind of work that we’re all involved in that we enjoy doing.”
EDS has been operating in Lexington for 30 years. Its crews travel all across the U.S. responding to disasters. Many times, the for-profit firm is federally contracted.