TRENTON -- A day after a New Jersey Office of Emergency Management task force declared it was "ready to answer the call" to support Tropical Storm Harvey recovery efforts in Texas, Gov. Chris Christie declared Sunday night the unit is heading to the storm-tattered state.
"As Americans, we come together during times of crisis," Christie said in a statement, citing the outpouring of support New Jersey received from other states after Hurricane Sandy devastated the Garden State five years ago.
"New Jersey stands ready to assist Texas with their search and rescue response to the destruction and devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey and the recovery process begins," he said.
The governor deployed NJ Task Force 1 Sunday night to help Texas officials with search and rescue, logistics, and hazmat and medical services. The first responders will be heading to Katy, Texas, a suburb about 30 miles west of Houston.
Hurricane Harvey, now a tropical storm, made landfall late Friday as a Category 4, dropping heavy rain in the Houston area. It still has sustained winds of up to 40 mph, and remains virtually stalled near the coast. In the past 48 hours, numerous spots in the region have measured more than 25 inches of rain.
The rising water chased thousands of people to rooftops or higher ground and overwhelmed rescuers who could not keep up with the constant calls for help. Many roads in and around Houston are flooded.
Just as soon as Christie deployed the unit, the task force posted on Facebook a video of its vehicles departing New Jersey.
"We're on our way, Texas!" the state's Office of Emergency Management said.
Christie said the unt was originaly deployed to San Antonio, Texas. But the team has now been redeployed to Katy, Texas, because the roads to San Antonio have become impassable.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.