Thirty-five Red Cross volunteers from five states and five firefighters from Guanajuato are off to Texas to help with rescue efforts in the wake of category 4 Hurricane Harvey.

All were traveling north in response to requests for assistance as Harvey, now a tropical storm, continues to batter the United States’ Gulf Coast with torrential rain, flooding and strong winds.

At least 20 people have died and thousands of homes destroyed.

The deployment of Red Cross volunteers came after the Mexican Red Cross received a request from its United States counterpart. In response, specialists from Chihuahua, Sonora, Mexico City, Morelos and Tamaulipas were to leave today at noon.

Led by Marco Franco Hernández, the national deputy relief coordinator, team members are specialists in medical emergency response, disaster relief, humanitarian aid distribution logistics, shelter support and damage assessment.

Once in Texas, the Mexicans will given the responsibility of caring for the thousands of people already in shelters who are in need of meals, health care and general victim care. Their focus will be on the Latino community in the greater Houston area, where at least 30,000 homes are estimated to have been destroyed.

The firefighters from Silao responded after Texas Representative Eddie Rodríguez, “knowing the technical capacity of Silao’s firefighters,” made a request for assistance to Mayor Juan Antonio Morales Maciel.

About a year ago the firefighters had received technical rescue training in Texas. One of their number, Mauricio Pantoja, has participated in rescue efforts in various countries, including Japan, Argentina, Ecuador and Chile.

The municipality has helped pay airfares for the group, which left yesterday.

On Sunday, the secretary of foreign affairs offered Mexico’s help to the United States through an official note to the U.S. State Department.

“We’ve offered the government of the United States all the help and collaboration that the different Mexican governmental agencies can provide in response to the effects of this natural disaster, as good neighbors must do in difficult times,” said Luis Videgaray.

He later made the same offer via Twitter, where he added that he had spoken that day with Texas Governor Greg Abbott to offer help.

There has been binational collaboration on natural disasters in the past. Twelve years ago Mexico sent medical military aid for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Source: El Universal (sp), Milenio (sp)