Navy Installations Command and U.S. Fleet Forces Command are scheduled to jointly conduct the annual hurricane preparedness exercise, HURREX/Citadel Gale 2016, May 9-20 in preparation for the upcoming Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean area hurricane season.

The purpose of HURREX/Citadel Gale 2016 is to prepare the Navy to respond to weather threats to U.S. coastal regions, and to maintain the ability to deploy forces even under the most adverse weather conditions.

This year's exercise will consist of two simulated tropical cyclones that will develop and intensify to hurricane strength, and will threaten the East Coast of the U.S., the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean coastal regions.

All Navy commands with personnel in Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, Naval District Washington, and Navy Region Southeast -- ashore, afloat, in port and underway -- will participate, to include reviewing and exercising heavy weather instructions and procedures and accounting for Sailors and Navy families in the affected regions through the Navy Family Accountability and Assessment System (NFAAS). Forward deployed units will not participate in the exercise tracking and warning phase.

The destruction and devastation caused by storms such as Hurricanes Sandy, Irene, and Katrina reinforce the need for proper training and preparedness prior to the threat of a real world natural disaster. With the onset of the Atlantic hurricane season June 1, the Navy remains committed to the safety, security, and well-being of its Sailors, civilians, and their family members.

For more news from Commander, Navy Installations Command, visit http://www.navy.mil/.