Naval Air Station Key West Commanding Officer Capt. Beth Regoli ordered all personnel to remain in place on September 26 ahead of Hurricane Ian which made landfall in Key West September 27. The inner and outer bands were projected to hit Key West as a Category 2 hurricane.
“The safety of our personnel is always my highest priority. In advance of the storm, we worked diligently to prepare for all possible outcomes. The coordinated efforts throughout the storm with all tenant commands across the base, in partnership with our local Key West community, reflected the great sense of community here in Key West,” said Regoli.
NAS Key West’s Truman Annex experienced severe flooding during the night of September 27 at approximately 10 p.m. during a storm surge. Emergency services were able to secure and evacuate 61 residents along with their animals and safely transfer them to Navy Gateway Inns and Suites.
“We are thankful for the firefighters that helped us, especially since I have small children. I felt safe with them and my family. The tide was coming in fast and the current was moving rapidly,” said Lt. Col. Alvaro Mendez, Joint Interagency Task Force South Foreign Liaison Officer for Guatemala. “I know we have a lot of support so I am thankful for that. My only concern is the damage to my home right now. Thankfully we are all safe.”
Regoli issued a mandatory evacuation of Sigsbee Park neighborhood residents early morning on September 28 in preparation for another storm surge that was expected during high tide. After a thorough assessment of the housing area and communication with multiple agencies late that afternoon, it was determined that residents were able to go safely return to their homes.
Volunteers from NAS Key West personnel and tenant commands including Joint Interagency Task Force South, Coast Guard Sector Key West and Army Special Forces Underwater Operations School gathered with the Key West community to clear debris.
“After seeing the devastation and hearing the stories of what our residents dealt with, our plan is to clear the debris and help clean the insides of the houses to see if we can get members into their homes as soon as possible,” said Marine Corps Maj. James Lomsdale, Chief of Resources and Requirements, Joint Interagency Task Force South.
According to the National Weather in Service Key West, peak gusts reached 79 miles per hour and storm surges reached as high as 4.5 feet above normal high tide.
Clean up and damage assessments are ongoing at NAS Key West.
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| Date Taken: | 09.30.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 09.30.2022 17:12 |
| Story ID: | 430520 |
| Location: | KEY WEST, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 117 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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