The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hurricane Hunters continue to play an integral role in hurricane forecasting. Data collected during the seasonable stores by the crews aboard the P-3 Orion aircraft can help forecasters make accurate predictions during a hurricane, and it can also aid researchers to achieve a better understanding of storm processes, which can further improve forecast models.
This week, as Hurricane Ian slammed into the Florida gulf coast, pilots who flew through the storm as it neared a catastrophic landfall have said it was the worst flight they’ve ever experienced. The category-four storm has already left a path of devastation in its wake.
While it is the job of the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron to fly into the eye of such storms, much of the United States military took orders to clear out before Ian hit the Sunshine State. Earlier in the week, ships began to depart from Naval Station Mayport, while Naval Station personnel completed heavy weather mooring for vessels required to remain in port. Additionally, the aircraft completed all evacuations from area airfields, and the rest were secured in hangars rated to withstand hurricane force winds.
The U.S. Navy Orders Evacuations
The Navy had been preparing for such a storm, even as this year’s hurricane season has been rather uneventful to date.
“Hurricane preparations began months ago through a Navy-wide exercise ahead of the hurricane season,” Rear Adm. Jim Aiken, Commander U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, said in a statement earlier this week. “Our Sailors will now focus on the safe execution of those planning efforts to enable sustained fleet operations.”
The littoral combat ship, USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21) was the first ship to depart from Naval Station Mayport on Wednesday, while the three remaining ships departed later that afternoon.
Also on Wednesday, Rear Adm. Wes McCall, Navy Region Southeast, instructed all Navy installations in the Jacksonville area to set Hurricane Condition of Readiness Two (COR 2) in preparation for the storm. As the storm approached McCall authorized the evacuation of non-essential active duty military, civilian employees, drilling reservists, and authorized dependents residing in mandatory evacuation zones in several Florida counties.
“Do not wait for physical orders to evacuate,” McCall said in a news conference on Wednesday. “If you are covered by my authorization, evacuation orders will be issued by your parent command, and that can be done after you are safe. Evacuees covered by my authorization order are authorized reimbursement for travel, lodging, and per diem at the approved rate at the designated safe haven.”
While not in the path of Ian, NAS Key West in COR 1 was also ordered closed to non-essential personnel due to high tide and storm surge.
“The safety of our Navy personnel and their families is my top priority,” said Captain Regoli. “We will continue to direct all resources possible towards the safe relocation and emergency assistance for those displaced by Hurricane Ian.”
A damage assessment will be conducted throughout the Key West installation when it is deemed safe to do so.
Air Force Personnel Also Evacuated
Florida’s United States Air Force bases took similar measures, and all non-mission essential personnel have been evacuated from the installations. That has included aircraft from the 6th Air Refueling Wing.
“All of our KC-135 Stratotankers are either stored safely away from the storm or have flown to different locations including Bangor Air National Guard Base in Maine or Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington,” U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Kristin Nielsen, a public affairs officer assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing, told reporters.
As Hurricane Ian approached, Moody Air Force Base (AFB) began taking measures to ensure personnel are safe and aircraft remain sheltered and secure during potential destructive winds and rainfall. The Air Force announced that all aircraft currently stationed at Moody AFB would be tied down or sheltered in hangars, while personnel will be limited to mission essential only Sept. 29 – 30. In addition, all base facilities will be closed during this time to include AAFES and Defense Commissary facilities.
Moreover, Moody AFB will serve as a base support installation for Hurricane Ian recovery operations, housing more than 100 additional personnel for approximately seven days.
Kennedy Space Center Prepared
Earlier in the week, NASA made the call to guard against Hurricane Ian and ordered its Artemis I mission hardware back to the garage at Kennedy Space Center.
The 5.75 million-pound, 322-foot-tall combination of Space Launch System rocket, mobile launcher, and Orion spacecraft endured a four-mile roll atop NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 back to the Vehicle Assembly Building, where it will be protected from the approaching storm.
NASA officials had said the $4.1 billion rocket and spacecraft could likely endure 85 mph sustained winds on the launch pad, but the threat of tornadoes, which are expected across the Florida peninsula this week, were among the reasons NASA decided to send it back to the assembly building.
Pentagon Readies the National Guard
Even as evacuation orders went out, others received a call to stand ready to be called into service. A total of 5,000 Florida National Guardsmen were activated to State Active Duty and pre-positioned at armories across the state for response operations.
Additionally, as many as 2,000 guardsmen from Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina are also being activated to assist. Aviation assets, including helicopters, are on standby if needed.
“Florida has pre-positioned Guard soldiers, airmen and equipment at bases and armories around the state in preparation for deploying them to areas impacted by the storm,” explained Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder. “These Guardsmen will provide route-clearing [and] search and rescue teams to support flood control and security.”
The Department of Defense had identified Maxwell AFB, Alabama, as well as Moody AFB, Warner-Robins AFB, and Marine Corps Logistics Base–Albany — all in Georgia — as both incident support bases and federal staging areas.
While the headquarters for both U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Central Command are both located in Tampa, Florida, near where Hurricane Ian had made landfall, the storm has apparently not had an effect on operations for either command.
“Hurricanes hitting the state of Florida are not new,” Ryder added. “There are very comprehensive contingency plans that are put together to address these types of eventualities to ensure that there’s 24/7 connectivity and command and control capability. The bottom line is neither of those commands will miss a beat regardless of whether the storm hits in the Tampa area or not.”
