Hurricane Helene's destructive path through Georgia has prompted partial evacuation orders at two military installations, impacting thousands of service members and their families.
According to Task & Purpose, Moody Air Force Base near Valdosta and Fort Eisenhower near Augusta have issued evacuation authorizations due to widespread power and water outages.
The damage is expected to take at least a week to repair, leaving many military families in challenging living conditions.
While not mandatory, evacuation orders allow affected personnel to leave the area and receive reimbursement for travel expenses. This is a relief for families whose homes have been uninhabitable by the hurricane's impact.
At Moody Air Force Base, Colonel Paul Sheets has authorized a limited evacuation for troops whose homes meet specific criteria for being considered uninhabitable.
These criteria include lack of water or sewer service, major structural damage, or power outages affecting residents with serious medical conditions.
Fort Eisenhower, under the command of Major General Ryan Janovic, implemented a "voluntary evacuation" plan. This plan applies to most stationed troops, with the exception of students at the base's cyber warfare training schools.
The Fort Eisenhower order permits personnel to travel up to 500 miles, a distance that reaches as far as Columbus, Ohio, or Washington, D.C. Unlike the Moody order, Fort Eisenhower's evacuation doesn't require specific home damage but considers general hardship and damage in the area.
Approximately 18,000 active duty troops are stationed at Fort Eisenhower, not including trainees at its various schools. The base is home to several signal and intelligence units, as well as the Cyber Center for Excellence.
While Moody and Fort Eisenhower grapple with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, other military installations in the region are gradually returning to normal operations.
MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, which had previously ordered a limited evacuation, is now lifting those orders for most personnel. Only residents of nearby Pasco County remained under evacuation orders as of Monday.
Tyndall Air Force Base on the Florida panhandle, which suffered severe damage from Hurricane Michael in 2018, escaped major impact from Helene. The base declared an "all clear" on September 27, with only some services remaining closed or operating at limited capacity.
Hurricane Helene's impact on these military installations underscores the vulnerability of coastal and near-coastal bases to severe weather events. The partial evacuations at Moody Air Force Base and Fort Eisenhower highlight the military's priority on personnel safety and well-being in the face of natural disasters. As recovery efforts continue, the focus remains on restoring essential services and ensuring the safety of service members and their families affected by the hurricane.
