Editor’s Note: This story was updated Oct. 9 with more information.
The Air Force has begun evacuating stealth fighters, gunships, and special operations planes ahead of Hurricane Isaias’ expected landfall over the Gulf Coast this weekend.
Severe storms can be devastating for Air Force bases, endangering lives, damaging aircraft and buildings, and battering runways.
As of Oct. 8, three bases in Florida and one in Mississippi have begun flying out F-35 Lightning IIs, AC-130J Ghostriders, MC-130J Commando IIs, and more
Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.—which was ravaged by Hurricane Michael in 2018—began moving out aircraft Oct. 8 including F-35s from the 325th Fighter Wing, a base spokesman told Air & Space Forces Magazine. Some aircraft were in the air in the morning, the spokesperson said, but the situation remained “fluid,” and it was unclear how many would ultimately fly out. The wing declined to say where the planes were going, citing operational security concerns.
Isaias is currently gathering strength in the Gulf of Mexico, with maximum sustained winds increasing to nearly 120 miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center said the morning of Oct. 9. That qualifies as a Category 3 hurricane.
“Isaias is expected to be at or near major hurricane strength when it makes landfall” late Oct. 9, according to the latest National Hurricane Center advisory. Isaias is expected to hit the United States’ northern Gulf Coast and impact parts of Alabama, Georgia, and the Florida panhandle, which could also face tornadoes.
“Hurricane force winds are expected to spread inland as far as 100 miles from the coast,” according to the advisory, adding that the storm will also bring 4 to 8 inches of rain, though “localized totals up to 15 inches are possible” across the Florida panhandle and Big Bend.
Bases in the region are on guard. Tyndall moved to Hurricane Condition 2 status on Oct. 8, meaning destructive winds of 58 miles per hour or greater were possible over the next 24 hours. Tyndall also limited installation access to mission-essential personnel, residents, and other authorized personnel, and facilities such as child care centers, the fitness center, and the commissary began closing throughout Oct. 8.
Another Florida installation, Eglin Air Force Base, flew its airworthy aircraft—including planes assigned to the 96th Test Wing, 53rd Wing, and 33rd Fighter Wing—to safer locations on Oct. 8. Aircraft that could not fly were placed in hangars for protection.
Civilian authorities in the Eglin region have also ordered some residents to evacuate. Eglin commander Col. Chris Keithley issued his own limited evacuation order for service members, Pentagon employees, and dependents living in certain parts of Okaloosa County, Fla., authorizing them to be reimbursed for their evacuation travel and saying they are not to return until directed to do so.
Eglin’s 96th Medical Group Hospital and pharmacies closed, but emergency operations, labor and delivery, and inpatient services remain open, the base said.
“The safety of our Airmen, their families, and our community is our highest priority,” Keithley said in a statement. “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. 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.”
The home of Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla., moved to Hurricane Condition 3 on Oct. 7 and limited base access to mission-essential personnel.
A spokesperson for Hurlburt also told Air & Space Forces Magazine that the base’s 1st Special Operations Wing had started flying out its AC-130s and MC-130s to Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas.
The wing commander also ordered roughly 1,000 Hurlburt residents in privatized military housing to evacuate by 5 p.m. on Oct. 8. Hurlburt said it doesn’t expect the storm surge to reach or damage housing structures, but that rising water levels could inundate a critical station that would interrupt vital wastewater, sewage, and potable water services.
The 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, also moved their aircraft Oct. 8 as the hurricane approached. One of its units, the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron better known as the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters, is continuing to fly recon missions into Isaias from Kelly Field in Texas. Those flights help provide data for the National Hurricane Center, which helps improve the center’s storm tracking and intensity forecasts.
Almost eight years ago, Tyndall was wrecked by Hurricane Michael when the Category 5 storm struck on Oct. 10, 2018. Aircraft that were not able to be flown out beforehand—including F-22 Raptor fighters—were damaged, some beyond repair, when their hangars were hit, and numerous buildings sustained damage that the Air Force called “catastrophic” at the time. Tyndall took years to recover, and its F-22 operations moved first to Eglin before ultimately settling at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va..
In March 2019, Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska experienced severe flooding, caused by the combination of a bomb cyclone’s violent weather and the melting of record snowfall. Those floods left dozens of buildings and much of Offutt’s flightline partially submerged, and prompted the base to evacuate several aircraft.
News Editor Greg Hadley contributed to this report.
