JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina Base Commander Col. Robert Lyman rescinded his Oct. 5 limited evacuation order for Hurricane Matthew and military members, the civilian workforce and C-17 Globemaster IIIs returned to the base Oct. 10.
The 315th Airlift Wing will still have its October Unit Training Assembly this weekend Oct. 15 & 16. If you live in an area that prevents you from attending this weekend's UTA contact your supervisor and reschedule.
Joint Base Charleston leadership welcomed returning base workers at the main gates in the morning Oct. 11.
The initial LEO directed members to seek a safe haven between 100 and 500 miles from Joint Base Charleston away from the hurricane track.
The base’s C-17s were relocated to various safe locations in the United States including Fort Campbell, Kentucky and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
Joint Base Charleston officials assessed damage caused by Hurricane Matthew Oct. 7, 2016 on both the Air Base and Weapons Station. Impacts included tree damaged, power outages, lots of debris and some minor damage to buildings.
During the time of the hurricane, all local counties were impacted with widespread flooding and power outages and travel routes were compromised.
Joint Base leaders, first responders, emergency and security personnel rode out the storm and monitored the effects through its Crisis Action Team and Emergency Operations Center, composed of the base’s senior leaders and functional area experts. The CAT is the focal point for all major decisions regarding Joint Base activities, and the EOC prepares the base for recovery efforts after a hurricane or other natural disasters. There were no reported injuries at the Joint Base during the storm.
STORM RECOVERY:
People with storm losses can register simply by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), which is video relay service accessible. Applicants who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can use TTY 1-800-462-7585. Online registration is available at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or through a smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov. https://www.fema.gov/apply-assistance
(Portions of this story came from a Joint Base Charleston press release Oct. 8.)