Lajes Field weathers Tropical Storm Gordon

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee
  • Air Force Print News
SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) --  Tropical Storm Gordon caused no major damage for Airmen at Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal, Sept. 20, when the storm passed further south of the Azores than experts had originally predicted.

The storm had winds of 37 to 47 mph with gusts up to 80 mph as it made landfall. Gordon was downgraded to a tropical storm shortly after it passed the Azores.

With two major exercises scheduled in the next six months, the storm preparation gave the base a good test of how effective their emergency procedures are.

"The wing is looking at this as a good thing," said 1st Lt. Shilo Weir, chief of Public Affairs for the 65th Air Base Wing. "It was an opportunity to test out our command structure and some of the emergency plans and procedures we have in place."

The successful preparation for the storm helped increase the base's confidence in its procedures.

"We were 100 percent ready for this to be an all-out hurricane, and we are 100 percent ready for anything the weather throws at us," Lieutenant Weir said.