DENVER -- An urban search and rescue team from Colorado is in Texas, ready to help out anyone who might get trapped by Hurricane Gustav.

Team member Ricardo Zuniga said Monday the team is in Houston and plans to stage in Beaumont, Texas.

Colorado Task Force One is made up of 70 firefighters from around Colorado, including departments in Denver, Aurora, Longmont, Fort Carson and Poudre Valley. They left Friday and drove to Texas to await possible assignments.

Having now hooked up with a counterpart team from California, they comprise some 100 vehicles and expect to be operational by Tuesday.

While that exact mission is still unclear, the Beaumont group will stay on the western flank of the response effort.

Meanwhile, the Mile High Chapter of the American Red Cross said it sent more than 20 volunteers to the Gulf Coast to help respond to the hurricane.

"You just can’t afford not to be as prepared as possible. After what we saw happened after Katrina, how can we not prepare as much as we possibly can?" said Robert Thompson, with the Mile High Chapter.

"Right now, we have supplies and personnel pre-positioned across the Gulf Coast, so no matter where Gustav hits, we’ll be ready to move in."

But Monday night, it was a waiting game.

"We have to wait now for the storm to clear," Thompson said.

Without question, coordination between various federal, state and non-profit agencies appears better than in 2005 when Katrina chaos rocked the Gulf Coast.

"And that's what's happened this time. You've saw the reports out of New Orleans where people are actually leaving this time and actually having a way to get out of they don't have a car," Thompson said.

To donate, go to RedCross.org.

The hurricane also forced the Stanton Moore Trio to cancel its appearance at Jazz Aspen Snowmass After Dark after the New Orleans-based group's flight was called off by the storm.

Zuniga said Colorado's rescue team is one of 19 from around the country that were activated because of Gustav.

Cindy Matthews of the West Metro Fire Protection District, who is serving as spokeswoman for the group, said the team is one of 28 rescue teams across the country that work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The Colorado team also responded to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the space shuttle Columbia crash in 2003 and the Oklahoma City bombings.