US 2nd Fleet Sets Sortie Condition Bravo in Preparation for Hurricane Irene

Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet ordered all U.S. Navy ships in the Hampton Roads, Va., area to set Sortie Condition Bravo Aug. 23, in order to maintain fleet readiness as a precaution due to the approach of Hurricane Irene.

Sortie Condition Bravo requires that ships make necessary preparations to get underway within 24 hours.

The setting of a sortie condition does not mean the actual sortie is inevitable. Should weather forecasts indicate, the sortie condition may be downgraded at any time.

While Hurricane Irene is currently a category II hurricane, it is forecasted to strengthen during the next 72 hours. Irene’s current track indicates a possible landfall along the Virginia and North Carolina coasts late Aug. 27 as a major category III hurricane.

“We learned last hurricane season with Hurricane Earl that we must be prepared even sooner to make the decision to sortie,” said Vice Adm. Daniel Holloway, Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet. “If the decision is made to sortie the fleet, as prudent mariners we must ensure that our ships have enough time to avoid storm damage and transit out of the path of the storm, well ahead of it.”

“Now is also a critical time for family readiness,” said Holloway. “Families should take this time in advance of a pending storm to review or make their plan and verify that their survival kits have everything that they will need if the hurricane makes landfall in Hampton Roads.”

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

– Navy Family Accountability and Assessment System  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 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 which provides more detailed information for preparing for a hurricane, hurricane evacuation and public shelters in Virginia.

– Red Cross Hurricane Preparedness Guide which provides general overview of tips and guidelines for hurricane preparedness.

– Prepare Hampton Roads website which provides valuable tips for preparing for high winds and evacuation.

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Source: navy, August 25, 2011;