pensacola newsjournal

As the military ramped up its Hurricane Irma response on Monday, Florida bases in Hurricane Irma's path began assessing storm damage.

Bill Dougherty, spokesman for Navy Region Southeast, said the Navy's two bases in Jacksonville — Jacksonville Naval Air Station and Mayport Naval Station — appeared to be weathering the storm. 

"We've had some reports of power outages, but nothing major," he said, as the bases remained on lockdown waiting for Irma to pass.  

Navy leaders were expecting updates on the condition of Key West Naval Air Station later on Monday, Dougherty said.

"We were thankful that there were no injuries reported (from Key West NAS )," he said. 

On its Facebook page, the Key West base said it had called additional "mission essential" personnel to return and began assisting with storm recovery. 

Lt. Col. Charles Scronce and Lt. Col. Lisa Reeves of the 156th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron help transport a patient from the Lower Keys Medical Center in Florida to a North Carolina Air National Guard C-130 Hercules for evacuation prior to the arrival of Hurricane Irma, while at the Key West Naval Air Station, Key West Florida, Sept. 6, 2017. Hurricane Irma is a category five storm that is expected to cause catastrophic damage to the regions it makes landfall. The 156th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron of the North Carolina Air National Guard provides medical care for wounded individuals while transporting them to alternate locations for further care.  Courtesy of Senior Airman Sonia Clark

Other bases in the storm's path, including Tampa's MacDill Air Force Base, remained closed. 

Navy and Air Force bases throughout Florida flew aircraft and moved ships out of the storm's path long before Irma's arrival.

The Air Force's Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field moved some aircraft just in case the storm affected the western Panhandle, said Air Force Lt. Kayshel Trudel, a spokeswoman for the base. 

On Monday, Hurlburt became a staging area for a California Army National Guard unit called in to help with relief efforts in other parts of the state. Trudel said the guard unit brought two cargo planes loaded with relief supplies, along with numerous helicopters for search and rescue. 

Nearby Eglin Air Force Base has become a staging area for FEMA, said base spokesman Andy Bourland.  

The U.S. Air Force Reserve has activated all of its special mission units in response to Hurricanes Irma and Harvey and the fires on the West Coast. The reservists were doing everything from spraying insecticides to fight Zika outbreaks in the storms' aftermath to flying into the hurricanes and monitoring wind speeds and other conditions, the agency said in a news release. 

Florida Gov. Rick Scott activated nearly 8,000 members of the Florida National Guard to respond to Irma. Scott said the guard units were doing search-and-rescue missions, supporting law enforcement and providing other assistance. 

The Army said late Monday that more than 16,700 soldiers, members of the U.S. Army Corps of engineers and civilian support staff were helping with the recovery effort in Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.  

Members of the Corps of Engineers were monitoring the Herbert Hoover Dike on Florida's Lake Okeechobee, as well as working to restore power in the U.S. Virgin Islands and in Puerto Rico, according to a new release from the Army. 

The Navy has sent eight ships to support recovery efforts, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. 

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Brian Wierzbicki said the sailors and marines were prepared to help with medical evacuations, rescues, humanitarian relief and however else they are needed. 

Wierzbicki said the ships would also help any Florida bases impacted by the storm. 

"We will provide whatever support is requested," he said. 

The U.S. Northern Command said early Monday the USS Wasp had completed 44 medical evacuations for critical care patients from St. Thomas to St. Croix. Wierzbicki said Navy and Marine crews were also flying search-and-rescue mission in the U.S. Virgin Island. 

The Coast Guard said Monday it was preparing for search and rescue flights, damage assessment and pollution response in all ares impacted by the storm. 

This article is not written by me but based on research