Military Aircraft Repositioned as Florida Bases Prepare for Hurricane Ian

Defense officials finalized preparations that included relocating military aircraft from bases around the state as Hurricane Ian began its assault on southwestern Florida Wednesday.

Kimberly Johnson

Wednesday, September 28, 2022 at 02:18 PM ET

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Capt. Davis White, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron aerial reconnaissance weather officer, monitors a radar screen during a flight into Hurricane Ian September 27, 2022. The 53rd WRS, or Hurricane Hunters, fly missions into hurricanes to collect data for forecasters at the National Hurricane Center. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

Hurricane Ian, a powerful storm approaching Category 5, threatened Florida with catastrophic wind damage, heavy rainfall, and extensive flooding.
Defense officials undertook significant preparations, relocating military aircraft from multiple Florida bases and mooring Navy ships to protect assets.
Over 3,200 Florida National Guard troops were activated, with an additional 1,800 on standby, to assist with route-clearing, search and rescue, flood control, and security operations.

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As Hurricane Ian began to bear down on Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday, defense officials relocated military aircraft, moored Navy ships, and completed final storm preparations ahead of one of the largest storms to strike the state in years.

“Clearly, this is a very powerful major hurricane that’s going to have major impacts, both on impact in southwest Florida, but then as it continues to work through the state,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday morning, the Orlando Sentinel reported. “It is going to have major, major impacts in terms of wind, in terms of rain, in terms of flooding, so this is going to be a nasty, nasty day—two days.”