Air Force bases in Florida are prepping for Hurricane Isaias, issuing evacuation orders and moving aircraft ahead of the storm’s potential landfall on Friday.
On Wednesday, the 1st Special Operations Wing commander directed residents in private military housing at Hurlburt Field, Florida, and an RV site associated with the base to evacuate “out of an abundance of caution.” About 1,000 residents were ordered to evacuate by 5:00 p.m. Thursday.
The 1st Special Operations Wing said the evacuation was “targeted” because of “constraints” to the base’s water utility infrastructure and that water levels could interrupt wastewater, sewage and drinking water services for the privatized housing on base. Officials said it did not indicate evacuation orders for the rest of the base or surrounding community.
Col. Chris Keithley, the installation commander for Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, also issued an alert Thursday for personnel and families to follow Okaloosa County-directed evacuation zone orders. The number of personnel impacted by the local evacuations was not immediately available.
Hurricane Isaias is headed to the U.S. Gulf Coast, where weather alerts have been issued for parts of the Florida panhandle and coastal areas of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. The National Hurricane Center issued a storm surge warning, alerting residents to potential “life-threatening” floods.
“We are in the process of evacuating our aircraft, securing facilities, and ensuring our installation is ready to weather the storm,” a 1st Special Operations Wing spokesperson said.
Savannah Stephens, the chief of public affairs at the wing, said they were evacuating their MC-130s and AC-130s to other Air Force bases and moving others undergoing maintenance to nearby hangars. Stephens said they would not provide details on where the aircraft were relocated to until they arrived.
The base has removed anything outside that could be damaged or swept up in high winds, like maintenance equipment and empty trailers. They also placed sandbags around and in buildings in “low-lying areas” near the waterfront side of the base, Stephens said.
Eglin officials said aircraft from its 96th Test Wing, 53rd Wing, and 33rd Fighter Wing flew out today ahead of the storm as a precaution. Air Force officials told Task & Purpose that F-15s, F-16s, and F-35s were evacuated from the base.
“As we prepare for the potential impacts of Hurricane Isaias, we are taking proactive steps to protect our people and aircraft entrusted to our care,” Keithley said in a press release Thursday. “Relocating our aircraft is a deliberate decision that reflects our responsibility to be good stewards of taxpayer resources while preserving our ability to execute the mission.”
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