A storm of concerns for East Coast Marines
US Marine Corps News
7/15/2008 By Cpl. Aaron Rooks, 2nd Marine Logistics Group
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (July 15, 2008) — The central focus in today’s military is on forward-deployed combat operations, physical fitness and overall combat readiness. With our current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, that’s not surprising.
But there is another important focus that the U.S. Marine Corp’s 2nd Marine Logistics Group has it’s eyes on, one that many servicemembers don’t often think about. That concern is destructive weather, which is quite arguably at its peak during the later months of the year, also known as hurricane season.
The East Coast’s latest weather concern was Tropical Storm Bertha. As the Weather Channel reports, Bertha recently passed through Bermuda, and as of 5 a.m. July 15, was headed out to open water in the Atlantic Ocean.
Popular opinion seems to be correct as the storm looks to have little chance of making landfall on U.S. soil, but then again, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service, we’re still early in the hurricane season, which extends from June 1 - Nov. 30.
“We are simply in that time frame right now for hurricanes,” said Gunnery Sgt. Samantha Thompson, the assistant destructive weather officer for Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd MLG. “We’ve been hit with a couple of storms already right out of the blue. Bertha popped up and did a u-turn, but Marines should still prepare for the worst.”
Even though Bertha is on its way further out to sea, Marines should not think that they are out of the woods, as history shows that the month of July can still pose a threat. The East Coast took a beating in July 1996 when Hurricane Bertha touched U.S. soil killing eight people and damaging 5,000 homes, which according to the National Weather Service, cost an estimated $270 million.
Thompson was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., when Bertha struck the Carolinas in the mid-90s. She has seen the full extent of the damage that hurricanes can cause, but more importantly, she realizes the importance of preparing for these storms.
“Your life can be turned upside down in an instant,” Thompson said, thinking back to 1996. “Vehicles were flipped, hoods were torn off, there was crazy traffic due to flooding … this is why Marines should prepare now. A storm can happen at any time.”
“They should start getting their supplies ready now,” she added. “Everyone wants to wait until the last minute to get what they need, but if they do this, they won’t have what they need when a storm hits.”
Although history has shown that the early months of hurricane season can be a bit rattling, the fact remains that in most cases, the second half of the season can bring the worst. Just think back to August 2004 when some U.S. states were struck and frayed by one named Charley.
WITN News, Eastern (North) Carolina’s Weather Authority, placed Hurricane Charley as the fourth costliest storm in U.S. history with damages totaling $15 billion. According to the National Weather Service, the hurricane made landfall in Florida and later resulted in 10 deaths.
To add to concern, Charley wasn’t the last. Approximately one month later, Hurricane Ivan added to the mix. Ivan touched land Sept. 16 and was labeled by WITN News as the fifth costliest storm in history with damages totaling $14.2 billion. WITN News said this storm touched 10 states, killing 25 people, 15 more than what Charley caused.
All-in-all, these two hurricanes took 35 lives and caused damages totaling $29.2 billion across 10 states on the East Coast over just two months time. That’s rather scary to think of when you consider that there was still about two months left in hurricane season at the time.
Lance Cpl. Donagan Hebert, an administrative clerk with Service Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd MLG, knows the devastation hurricanes can cause all too well. He has lived through the 2005 hurricanes Katrina and Rita, both of which had a disastrous impact on his home state of Louisiana. Now, three years later, he finds himself providing a home for his parents who were forced to evacuate Louisiana years ago.
“Some people are probably still homeless,” Donagan said. “I still know people who don’t know where their loved ones are. It happened years ago, but it still shows an effect.”
Donagan said hurricanes Katrina and Rita changed his family’s life forever. He said he would never wish that, and what happened, upon another person, but feels that it’s important for others to realize the true power of hurricanes and the devastation they’re capable of.
“A hurricane may turn, and then come right back your way,” Donagan said. “If you’re not prepared, that’s the worst situation possible. Fact is, you could lose your house, your family … your whole life.”
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