A large portion of ships stationed at in the Hampton Roads region Norfolk are on a 24-hour notice to leave the base for the weekend as a category 4 hurricane gathers strength on a track along the swirls works its way to the East Coast, a Fleet Forces Command spokeswoman said told Navy Times on Thursday.
That will include mostly big-deck ships like aircraft carriers and amphibious ships, Lt. Stephanie Turo said.
"Obviously those that are in maintenance or are better suited to stay will stay," she added.
Several ships were on their way out of Norfolk as of Thursday afternoon, according to a Fleet Forces release.
"Their design and displacement makes it best to send them to sea today given the potential for increased winds in HR tomorrow resulting from the existing frontal system," the release said.
Five aircraft carriers and three big-deck amphibious assault ships are homeported there as part of the world's biggest fleet area, which includes Naval Station Norfolk and Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story. One carrier, Abraham Lincoln in is lay-up and not able to sortieevacuate. Another, the George Washington, is currently on its way to Norfolk from San Diego after shifting home ports from Sasebo, Japan.
That leaves George H.W. Bush, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Harry S. Truman in the hurricane's path. The big deck amphibs Wasp, Kearsarge and Bataan are also Norfolk-based in the region.
Fleet Forces has not yet decided which ships will evacuate, Turo said, but officials upgraded the base's Sortie Condition from Charlie — a 48-hour warning — to the 24-hour Bravo this afternoon.
Additionally, the Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Commander Rear Adm. Rick Williamson set Tropical Cyclone Condition 4 earlier today for all of the Navy installations in the Hampton Roads area.
Meghann Myers is the Pentagon bureau chief at Military Times. She covers operations, policy, personnel, leadership and other issues affecting service members.
