Hurricane Dennis eyes Gulf Coast, packing major winds

  • Published
  • By Sarah McCaffrey and Senior Airman Mike Meares
  • 96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) --  In a flurry of activity, the base is rushing hurricane preparations before the second major hurricane in 10 months makes landfall nearby.

According to a hurricane statement released by The National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Dennis was a strong Category 4 hurricane, packing sustained winds of 150 mph as it moved northwest at 15 mph over Cuba. The storm is currently projected to make landfall just west of Navarre Beach, Fla., an area that is still recovering from the devastating effects when Hurricane Ivan came ashore September 2004.

Some crews began preparations to secure the base as early as Thursday morning.

“I spun my team up early and we got ready,” said Tech. Sgt. Scott Eastwald, 796th Civil Engineer Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of the multifacility one team. “We knew this thing was coming.”

The multifacility one team is responsible for making hurricane preparations -- like putting plywood over windows -- for specific areas of the base including the officers’ club and the veterans’ memorial.

On other areas of the base, preparations continued at a hurried pace. Dick Hinckman, outdoor recreation assistant at the Ben’s Lake Marina said marina staff began taking boats from the water and storing them on land or in dry shelter. Mr. Hinckman said people who owned private boats at the marina were given notice to make preparations to secure their boats before the base closed July 8.

A mandatory evacuation order was issued for all base people. Only storm ride-out teams are permitted to stay on base.

Military and their dependents also had to deal with long lines at the commissary, base exchange and gas pumps here as they either stocked up on supplies to weather the storm or made last-minute purchases before evacuating the area.

“During Hurricane Ivan, we didn’t have enough trash bags for clean-up,” said Karen Keipert, of Niceville, Fla., while shopping at the commissary. “We are making sure we have enough supplies like water and food, but we bought more trash bags for the clean-up effort after the storm.”

With the destruction of Hurricane Ivan fresh in the minds of many, people are nervously watching to see what Hurricane Dennis may bring.

“It’s scary,” Mr. Hinckman said. “Everybody is worried about it because they don’t know what’s going to happen. If it’s a Category 4 or 5, it will be devastating.”