Second Fleet Sets Sortie Condition Alpha in Preparation for Hurricane
Navy News Service
Story Number: NNS110824-26
8/24/2011
From U.S. 2nd Fleet Public Affairs
NORFOLK (NNS) -- Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet ordered all U.S. Navy ships in the Hampton Roads, Va., area to set Sortie Condition Alpha Aug. 24.
Ships will make final preparations overnight in anticipation of getting underway early Aug. 25.
The setting of Sortie Condition Alpha does not mean the actual sortie is inevitable.
Should overnight weather forecasts indicate a decrease in the strength or change in the track of the storm, the sortie condition may be downgraded.
Vice Adm. Daniel Holloway, commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet, said that the decision to sortie the ships from Hampton Roads is based on Hurricane Irene's current track that indicates the storm will produce at least 50 knots of wind and a five to seven foot storm surge, which meets the criteria for getting the fleet underway to avoid storm damage.
"Our ships can better weather storms of this magnitude when they are underway," said Holloway. "The forecasted destructive winds and tidal surge is too great to keep the ships in port. There is a much greater potential of not only the ships being damaged, but also the pier infrastructure. Having the ships underway also makes them ready and available to respond to any national tasking, including any needed disaster response efforts in the local area after the storm has passed."
Foul weather preparations start with Sortie Condition Charlie, with ships prepared to get underway in 48 hours. At Sortie Condition Bravo, ships must be prepared to get underway within 24 hours. Sortie Condition Alpha indicates the execution of the sortie.
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