U.S. Navy ships and submarines based in Hawaii not currently undergoing maintenance availabilities have begun plans to sortie as Hurricane Douglas travels toward the Hawaiian Islands. Ships that sortie will be positioned to help respond after the storm, if needed.

Also, the U.S. Marine Corps parking the entire squadrons of CH-53s in the hangar to protect vital combat power.

Douglas became a Hurricane Wednesday morning, it’s the Pacific’s first hurricane of the 2020 season and is approximately 1,500 miles east of Hawaii, according to the National Hurricane Center forecast.

“We have been carefully tracking this storm, and based on the current track, we have decided to begin plans to sortie Pearl Harbor-based ships,” Rear Adm. Robert Chadwick, commander, Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific Units said. “This allows the ships enough time to transit safely out of the path of the storm.”

The Navy orders a sortie during potentially extreme weather conditions to reduce the risk of significant damage to ships, submarines and piers during high winds and seas. Some ships will not get underway, due to various maintenance availabilities, and are taking extra precautions to avoid potential damage. Commanding officers have a number of options when staying in port, depending on the severity of the weather. Some of these options include adding additional mooring and storm lines, dropping the anchor, and disconnecting shore power cables.

As the Air Force’s 15th Wing and 154th Wing prepare for Hurricane Douglas, the main goal is to keep Airmen, equipment, and infrastructure safe. Additionally, Airmen are preparing to secure all aircraft in preparation for the hurricane.

Weathering the storm. As Hurricane Douglas approaches HMH-463, Pegasus parks the entire squadron of CH-53s in the hangar to protect vital combat power. @PacificMarines @INDOPACOM pic.twitter.com/DkmMZucbgb

— 1st MAW Marines (@1stMAW_Marines) July 26, 2020