Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (NSGB) participated in a natural disaster preparedness exercise, Hurricane Exercise/Citadel Gale 2018 (HURREX/CG 18), April 24 - May 11.

This annual exercise prepares the Navy to respond to adverse weather threats in U.S. coastal regions, and to maintain the ability to deploy forces even under the most severe weather conditions. HURREX/CG 18 involved a simulated storm system developing and intensifying to hurricane strength, threatening the East Coast regions.

"HURREX is one of the most important drills we do every year," said Joe McCullough, NSGB's emergency manager. "As beautiful as the weather is here year round, we still have to remember that Mother Nature can throw a curveball at us any time between June and November. We absolutely have no margin for error if destructive weather comes our way."

Though the simulated storm stayed north of NSGB, the emergency management team, as well as many others around the base, still went through a series of exercises to ensure the installation could achieve conditions of readiness and account for all personnel in a timely fashion, as well as completed an evacuation scenario to ensure all were prepared to conduct an evacuation in case the need arises at any point in the upcoming hurricane season that runs June 1 through November 30.

"The early part of the hurricane season is relatively quiet for our part of the world so we use this time to validate our destructive weather and evacuation plans and ensure our identified shelters are ready to receive residents if it becomes necessary," said McCullough. "But it takes a little effort from each person here to make sure that everything goes smoothly."

Families should have a disaster plan, a hurricane kit, and know where their assigned shelter is and what category they belong in if the unlikely event happens where we have to leave the base quickly.

Naval Station Guantanamo Bay has set real-world condition of readiness 5, which will remain set throughout the hurricane season. For the most up to date information on any real-world situations, please be sure to check the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Facebook page and stay tuned to Radio GTMO 102.1 FM, 103.1 FM, and 1840 AM. Also, be sure to pick up the May 25 Hurricane Edition of the NSGB Gazette, as it will be devoted entirely to providing you with important tips and information to aid you in keeping you and your family safe throughout the hurricane season.


For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, visit www.navy.mil/.