All Sortie Ships Underway in Preparation for Hurricane Irene

From Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet Public Affairs

NORFOLK (NNS) -- All U.S. Navy ships in Hampton Roads, Va., ordered to get underway Aug. 25, have sortied in preparation for Hurricane Irene.

Twenty-seven ships departed and will be clear of the storm's path by midday Aug. 27.

These ships will rendezvous with 11 other ships that remain at sea.

Twenty-eight additional ships were taken to safe haven for various reasons, such as being in a particular maintenance status that does not allow them to get underway. Safe havens are predesignated piers that offer better protection against weather than a general pier.

Vice Adm. Daniel Holloway, commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet, said that the decision to sortie the ships from Hampton Roads is based on Hurricane Irene's current track that indicates the storm will produce at least 50 knots of wind and a five to seven foot storm surge, which meets the critiera for getting the fleet underway to avoid storm damage.

"We are being prudent mariners, getting our ships underway so that they can better weather Hurricane Irene" said Holloway. "This will be a significant storm, so not only do we need to keep our ships safe but also our families. With the forecasted destructive winds and tidal surge, we could see some significant damage here on land. Now is the time for our families to execute the plan they prepared for. Now is the time, before the storm hits."

A variety of information is available in support of family readiness during hurricane season including:

- Navy Family Accountability and Assessment System, http://go.usa.gov/kQ4, which provides a standardized method for the Navy to account, manage and monitor the recovery process for personnel and their families affected and/or scattered by a wide-spread catastrophic event.

- State of Virginia Emergency Management, http://www.vaemergency.gov/readyvirginia, which has many resources for planning and preparing emergency kits, developing evacuation plans and addressing specific special needs for children, the elderly and others.

- Virginia Department of Transportation Hurricane Evacuation Guide, http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/hurricane_defauLT.asp, which provides more detailed information for preparing for a hurricane, hurricane evacuation and public shelters in Virginia.

- Red Cross Hurricane Preparedness Guide, http://www.preparehr.org/documents/RedCrossReadyHurricaneGuide2pg.pdf, which provides general overview of tips and guidelines for hurricane preparedness.

- Prepare Hampton Roads website, http://www.preparehr.org, which provides valuable tips for preparing for high winds and evacuation.