United States

Navy Ships Ordered Out of Virginia Ahead of Hurricane Florence

"Our ships can better weather storms of this magnitude when they are underway," a Navy official said

The U.S. Navy is sending nearly 30 of its Virginia-based ships out to sea as Hurricane Florence barrels toward the Atlantic Coast.

Navy spokeswoman Alana Garas said the ships will disembark Monday from naval bases, including the world's largest in Norfolk. The ships will head to portions of the Atlantic where they can avoid the storm.

"Our ships can better weather storms of this magnitude when they are underway," U.S. Fleet Forces Cmdr. Adm. Christopher Grady said in a statement.

Some ships will stay behind because they're undergoing maintenance and may be tied down with additional mooring and storm lines.

Meanwhile, naval bases near Virginia's coast also are sandbagging flood-prone areas and topping off fuel generators.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center have said Florence is expected to be an extremely dangerous storm by the time it nears the coast of South Carolina or North Carolina on Thursday.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us