Navy ships head to sea to ride out Hurricane Isabel [About 40 Navy ships and submarines]

Virginia Pilot ^

[Sub-Driver]

Navy ships head to sea to ride out Hurricane Isabel Associated Press © September 16, 2003 Last updated: 12:04 PM

NORFOLK -- About 40 Navy ships and submarines began leaving bases in Virginia and New Jersey this morning to avoid potential damage from Hurricane Isabel.

The ships will head out to sea to get north of the storm and then move east to maneuver around the hurricane, said Adm. Robert J. Natter, commander of the Norfolk-based Atlantic Fleet.

Forecasters said Isabel, with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph, appeared to be on a course to hit Thursday on the North Carolina coast and move up through eastern Virginia.

Natter said moving the ships will cost ``in the millions'' but the expense would be far greater if the ships were damaged by being battered against the piers.

``We've got to be prudent,'' Natter told reporters on a pier at Norfolk Naval Station. ``We cannot afford to have these very expensive, valuable national assets caught in port in a storm like this.''

Natter said Isabel is expected to be especially dangerous because of possible 12-foot surges 500 miles ahead of the eye of the storm.

Most of the ships leaving Tuesday are based in southeastern Virginia. Two Navy oilers were to head to sea from Earle, N.J. More than 13,000 sailors are aboard the ships.

About 30 Virginia-based ships, including two aircraft carriers, will not be able to leave, mostly because they are being maintained or repaired. Natter said extra precautions were being taken to tie down the ships to avoid damage.

The Navy also said 111 aircraft from Norfolk Naval Station and Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach would fly Tuesday to several other bases to avoid the storm.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Jones of Carthage, Mo., said he was not worried about being at sea during the storm.

``We won't get anywhere we can't get out of,'' said Jones, a damage control firefighter aboard the destroyer USS Winston Churchill.

However, he said some sailors will feel the effects of Isabel's high winds and the resulting rough seas.

``You're always going to have some seasick sailors, but that's just part of the Navy,'' he said.

Also Tuesday, the Air Force planned to send about 60 planes, mostly F-15 jets, from Langley Air Force Base in Hampton to Grissom Air Force Base in Indiana, said Capt. Jeff Glenn, spokesman for the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley.

Some planes that can't fly because they are being repaired will be put into hangars, but Langley doesn't have hangars for all its planes, Glenn said.

Gov. Mark R. Warner declared a state of emergency for the entire state Monday. The declaration put the National Guard, the State Police and the Department of Transportation on full alert.

[SolutionsOnly]

Admiral Nimitz is clearly not at the helm! :-)

[ibheath]

Those carriers under repair are gonna take a beating, especially if the storm surge pulls all the water out of the harbor. I was on the Indepencence CV-62 (decommed now). I wonder how they will secure them to prevent damage.

[Sub-Driver]

hopefully they are in drydock.....what is of worry is submarines in floating drydocks, that's scary...

[ibheath]

Dry dock is rare. When we did a refit after a WestPac, we were just moored to the pier. But the engineers usually had at least one boiler torn out for replacement/repair. We would overhaul our electronics, strip and recoat the non-skid, paint, etc. I'll bet they are just moored to the pier. Their flat bottoms and heavy decks cannot handle tipping over very far. Not a problem at sea when you can turn into the wind......

[Al B.]

The Truman is in drydock at Norfolk. The Ike is berthed at Newport News finishing up RCOH, so she can't move. Hope for the best with her.

[Severa]

They're sending my husband's sub out this afternoon, I don't have a clue as to when he'll be back. As for us, we're heading out this evening cause they're already telling us in Navy base housing, 'You better leave as soon as you can' There's already moderately heavy traffic in the VA Beach/Norfolk tunnels heading toward Richmond and further out.

[Ready4Freddy]

Wasn't it Bull Halsey that had a bit of trouble avoiding a typhoon?

[manna]

Have a safe trip (both you and your husband)!!

[RightWhale]

That's exactly where a pack of U-boots would be waiting! Watch out behind the hurricane!

[azcap]

Wasn't it Bull Halsey that had a bit of trouble avoiding a typhoon?

 

Yes- Halsey had problems avoiding Typhoons TWICE.

Fool me once...

[SolutionsOnly]

You are correct! Got my admirals confused.

Bull Halsey sailed into hurricanes not once - but twice!! and got several hundred men killed, lots of aircraft lost, and several ships sunk doing in so.

My apologies to Chester Nimitz!

[Sub-Driver]

Well, he'll be safe, it's only @ 8 hours to the dive point and then they'll head north....

[jjm2111]

Lots and lots of yokohamas.

[Ready4Freddy]

Seems like one of the times, the 2nd, I think, Halsey maneuvered his fleet based on radar & weather forecasts from the weather gurus, but the typhoon changed course, as they are wont to do, and they were unable to avoid it.

Saw some footage on DiscoveryHistoryScience channel about it once, at least one carrier had its flight deck overhang folded down at an almost 90 degree angle from hitting the waves head on.

[Ready4Freddy]

The subs head offshore for 8 hours before they dive? Or am I misunderstanding your statement?

[The Squid]

They go out to the 100 fathom curve or beyond before they submerge

[Old Sarge]

"Hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck-standing-up" Alert:

I, too, live in Louisville. I'm at State EOC in Frankfort on Active Duty. And my watch partner was ALSO on the Indy!

He tells me of how the Indy rounded Cape Horn, and a sponson broke (or some such).

Also, all they'd have to do for a flattop in port would be raise the elevators to deck level, close all ports and hatches, lash her down croos-wise, and ride the beast out.

[KeyLargo]

From what I'm hearing today its all blow and no go! Looks like somebody at the weather service has a lot of money in plywood stocks!

[Maximum Leader]

Didn't Admiral McCain (the senator's grandfather) get blamed for one of those?