Tyndall Air Force Base is bracing for a major potential storm this week, as the new Tropical Storm Helene is forecasted to intensify into a Category 3 hurricane with winds reaching 110 miles per hour and hit the Florida Panhandle around Sept. 26.
As of Sept. 24, the base has declared Hurricane Condition Level 3, indicating the storm has become a “potential threat to Tyndall with destructive winds possible within 48 hours.”
The base commander has not issued any evacuation orders for personnel yet but is recommending people staying at the installation’s “Fam Camp” campground to evacuate as a precautionary measure, the base shared on its social media page.
Base officials are currently “in close coordination with Bay and Gulf Counties and Bay District Schools,” and 325th Fighter Wing personnel are expected to report during normal duty hours on Sept. 25.
Tyndall’s 95th Fighter Squadron deployed its F-35s to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., before the storm warnings hit the area, a spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine. “They will be safe there until conditions are cleared at Tyndall,” the spokesperson added.
Helene is projected to hit the Gulf of Mexico by Sept. 25, with landfall expected along the Florida Panhandle by the evening of Sept. 26. Tallahassee, located about 90 miles east of Tyndall, is currently in the center of the storm’s forecast path, according to the National Hurricane Center. Tyndall and nearby Panama City are within the forecast “cone” and are under a tropical storm warning.
The base received its first F-35s last August, marking its shift from F-22 Raptor training to becoming a key hub for the Lightning II. The 95th Fighter Squadron, assigned to the mission, was reactivated in June 2023 after a four-year hiatus following Hurricane Michael’s devastation in 2018.
Tyndall is still undergoing years of reconstruction and upgrades today, but the base confirmed that Hurricane Helene and current warnings won’t slow down progress.
“Our contracts incorporate anticipated weather delays, which is built into the schedule, so there are no progress delays,” the spokesperson said.
Hurricane Michael tore apart Tyndall’s hangars, damaged several F-22 Raptors, and left much of the base in ruins, causing around $5 billion in damage. The storm was later upgraded to a Category 5, making it the first Category 5 storm to make landfall in the U.S. since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
A Category 3 hurricane means “devastating damage will occur.” Well-built homes may suffer major structural damage. Widespread tree uprooting, blocked roads, and prolonged power and water outages lasting days to weeks are also expected in the region. Damaging winds and heavy flooding rains are expected for the northern part of the state.
Remnants of Hurricane Helene are expected to bring heavy rain and gusty winds through Alabama and Georgia by Sept. 27. The storm is forecast to continue tracking northward through Tennessee and into the Midwest over the weekend.