Photo By 2nd Lt. Christopher Garibay | A gator crosses a small pond near Camp Delta at Joint Task Force Guantanamo, after the...... read more read more
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GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - As the rain started last Thursday morning, most Troopers across U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, probably figured it would stop in five or ten minutes, like normal. Life went on, softball games were arranged, dives were scheduled and movies were planned. No one had a clue we were experiencing the beginnings of what would turn into the most devastating hurricane to hit the Atlantic this season.
Joaquin started as many Atlantic hurricanes do, as a low pressure zone off the coast of Africa. It was not on a course to hit Cuba and it was only a tropical depression until it settled in over the Bahamas late
Wednesday afternoon, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Early Thursday morning Joaquin had grown into a full-fledged Category 3 hurricane, assaulting the Bahamas.
“I suppose Thursday morning was our first notice that it was actually forming into a stronger hurricane and it was going to start affecting us,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Christopher Gant, commander of the 474th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron, Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force 17, for the Joint Task Force.
While the full force of Hurricane Joaquin was never brought to bear on GTMO, the portion of storm that did affect the island, carried with it tropical storm force winds and heavy rains. Late into Thursday evening and early Friday morning, NOAA reported wind gusts up to 50 mph and sustained wind speeds of 37 mph. As many residents of GTMO know, rain is rare and according to historical weather records, GTMO averages 0.07 inches of rain per day for the month of October.
During the three days the storm was affecting the island, GTMO received more than seven inches of rain, according to NOAA. Army Maj. Brian P. Reed, the deputy JTF engineer, said a number of very large puddles that formed during the heavy rains, rendered the roads impassable, within an hour after the rain
stopped all the water was gone; drained out to sea.
“We are right next to the ocean and any enormous rainfall we have is going to drain very quickly into it,” said Reed. As soon as the NAVSTA and JTF staff realized Joaquin meant business, as a recently upgraded Category 4 hurricane they stood up the NAVSTA Emergency Operations Center, and soon afterward emails and phone calls were made notifying everyone that the JTF had moved to condition of readiness 3; alerting individuals and units to ensure their go bags were ready, in case of an evacuation.
“I don’t think we were really tracking that it was going to be a big deal until it actually was,” said Reed, concerning the storm, which actually changed course and was heading straight for GTMO at a pace of 6 mph. No one seemed stressed about this though, as the JTF and NAVSTA had a plan.
“We did a destructive weather rehearsal on the weekend and I think it gave us a better familiarity of actioning the plan into reality,” said Army Lt. Col. Todd M. Bookless, JTF deputy plans officer.
Even without the disastrous weather drill a month ago, Bookless maintained his confidence in the security of the island in the face of a storm. Though the stress level would have been elevated, Bookless
remained confident in the smart, competent leadership and the engineers agreed.
“It kind of caught us by surprise but I don’t think it really changed all that much, as far as the reaction was concerned,” said Reed.
As a tenant-unit of NAVSTA, communication back and forth is essential, according to Bookless.
“I think we have got a great relationship,” said Bookless. “The sharing of information helps us both.” Communication is important, as it is the responsibility of the NAVSTA Commanding Officer, Navy Capt. David Culpepper to set the COR for the base.
While it was still raining and the winds were still high Friday afternoon, 14-20 mph, Joaquin was on a very slow course north, and the situation at GTMO was phased down to recovery operations.
“It was actually very minor no matter how we look at it,” said Reed, who as a New York native has been activated to help with hurricane recovery operations in the past and witnessed the devastation of both Hurricanes Sandy and Irene.
“We lost some shingles in Windward Loop, some sniper netting, some sunscreens at the Cuzco’s, one tent at Camp Justice and the roof at the hangar.”
Reed also mentioned that all of these items were previously identified as high risk and were already slated to be replaced or repaired.
“It’s shredded,” said Gant, regarding the tent in Camp Justice. “It was scheduled for a new skin and we’ve already got one on order, we are just waiting for it to be delivered.”
Gant and Reed both agreed now that the JTF is in the recovery phase it is important that Troopers and leaders submit work requests and follow up with them in order to ensure repairs are made.
In addition to making repairs on structures, NAVSTA and JTF leaders are focusing on lessons learned.
Reed said they will be looking at the causes that drive the decisions in determining the COR levels. Up to the present, the CORs have been decided based on a storms projected landfall timeline.
He indicated this storm taught everyone that the conditions on the ground will most likely play a larger role in deciding the COR levels in the future. While life at GTMO is getting back to normal, Joaquin is still affecting the eastern seaboard of the U.S., causing major flooding in South Carolina and is expected to affect the Northeast and New England for the remainder of the week.
| Date Taken: | 10.09.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 03.03.2016 10:48 |
| Story ID: | 190964 |
| Location: | GUANTANAMO BAY, CU |
| Web Views: | 77 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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