Preemptive Measures: Navy Clears Ships and Aircraft from Florida Bases Ahead of Hurricane

preemptive-measures-navy-clears-ships-and-aircraft-from-florida-bases-ahead-of-hurricane

The Navy is evacuating ships and aircraft from Florida as Hurricane Idalia, which is expected to reach Category 3 strength, is anticipated to strike the state’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday morning.

Monday marked the beginning of the Navy’s movement of ships from Naval Station Mayport to the Atlantic, beginning with the littoral combat ship Cooperstown. The service stated that ships remaining in port will undergo complete severe weather mooring and aircraft not evacuated from nearby airfields will travel to hurricane-resistant hangars.

According to Rear Adm. Jim Aiken, commander of the U.S. 4th Fleet, the sortie condition is a precautionary measure designed to minimize the danger of damage to assets.

“Hurricanes and tropical storms are inevitable in Northeast Florida,” Aiken stated in a Navy press release. “We’ve planned, practiced and reviewed prior years’ storm responses and time and time again early preparation has led to safe execution.”

Monday, Capt. Ian Johnson, commander of Navy Region Southeast, issued an order for all Navy installations in the Jacksonville area to establish a Hurricane Readiness Three condition, which means to prepare for damaging gusts within the next 48 hours. The Navy expects all bases in the region to cease non-essential operations on Tuesday afternoon.

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MacDill Air Force Base Evacuates, and the Gulf Coast Prepares for the Arrival of Hurricane Idalia

preemptive-measures-navy-clears-ships-and-aircraft-from-florida-bases-ahead-of-hurricane
The Navy is evacuating ships and aircraft from Florida as Hurricane Idalia, which is expected to reach Category 3 strength, is anticipated to strike the state’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday morning.

In addition, the commander of MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa issued an evacuation order for families and non-essential personnel on Monday. Both U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command are located at this installation.

The National Hurricane Center reported that at 11 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, Idalia was located approximately 275 miles (440 kilometers) south-southwest of Tampa with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph). It was traveling 14 mph (22 kph) to the north.

Thursday, the center of Idalia will likely strike a sparsely populated area of the Gulf Coast known as the Big Bend before traversing the peninsula and dumping rain on southern Georgia and the Carolinas.

Meteorological stations reported that Idalia dumped up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain on Cuba, particularly in the westernmost part of the island, causing residents to evacuate to the residences of acquaintances and relatives.

Southwest Florida is still recuperating from Hurricane Ian, which killed nearly 150 people last year. 52,000 structures were devastated by the Category 5 hurricane, of which nearly 20,000 were destroyed or significantly damaged.

 

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Source: Military Times

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