CAP wings ramp up preparations in advance of Hurricane Florence

Photo By Crystal Housman | Civil Air Patrol Lt. Col. Brett Grooms, left, and Capt. Brian Rawl perform route evacuation flights Sept. 11, 2018, over I-26 in South Carolina. The flights are part of the South Carolina Wing’s preparations for Hurricane Florence. (U.S. Air Force Auxiliary photo)  

WEST COLUMBIA, SC, UNITED STATES

09.11.2018

Courtesy Story

Civil Air Patrol (U.S. Air Force Auxiliary)

by Capt. (CAP) Lynne Albert, North Carolina Wing
Capt. (CAP) Jacob Bixler, Virginia Wing
1st Lt. (CAP) Rachael J. Mercer, South Carolina Wing

WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — As Hurricane Florence approaches the Mid-Atlantic Coast, the South Carolina Wing of Civil Air Patrol is assisting with evacuation efforts.

The first CAP aircrew began flying at about 8 a.m., Sept. 11, 2018, over Interstate 26 in South Carolina to observe traffic flow along the evacuation route. The team is looking for any issues that could impede traffic flow — including stalled vehicles and accidents — and reporting that information back to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division.

Meanwhile, in Richmond, Virginia, members of CAP’s Virginia Wing are operating in “warning” status. This came just hours before the Commonwealth’s governor, Ralph Northam, issued a mandatory evacuation notice for 245,000 residents living along the coast.

In Burlington, North Carolina, CAP members there are also preparing for a statewide response to Hurricane Florence. Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency and President Donald Trump issued a Presidential Disaster Declaration in anticipation of possible damage from the storm.

The wing has established an incident command post at its headquarters in Burlington. In addition, wing personnel began staffing the state’s Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh at 7 a.m., Sept. 11, and are expected to maintain a CAP presence at the EOC throughout the duration of the storm and subsequent disaster relief efforts.

All of the affected wings are relocating corporate airplanes and vehicles inland for safe storage throughout the storm. Each wing also is prepared to provide aerial and ground team damage assessments as tasked by local, state and federal authorities.

• Date Taken: 09.11.2018
• Date Posted: 09.11.2018 23:27
• Story ID: 292335
• Location: WEST COLUMBIA, SC, US