In brief:
- Hurricane Isaias is expected to make landfall late Friday/early Saturday
- Exchanges in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi are prepared
- Store, LG and fuel teams have ensured Exchanges are well-supplied
The Eglin AFB/Hurlburt Field and Tyndall AFB Exchanges are preparing for possible impacts Friday night from Hurricane Isaias, which is projected to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday as a Category 2 storm—and possibly a Category 3.
“It is still uncertain as to where it will be once it hits the Florida Panhandle, but most models show it hitting between Pensacola, Florida, and Mobile, Alabama,” said South East Regional Vice President Tony Pares. Tyndall is near Panama City, Florida, very roughly midway between Pensacola and Mobile; Eglin and Hurlburt are to east of Pensacola, but both are less than 50 miles away.
Pares said that although there was a run on fuel and supplies, the Waco Distribution Center team and fuel team have worked with the store teams to ensure that the stores have enough fuel and goods to serve customers.
All Exchange associates in the area have been accounted for. “I couldn’t be prouder of our teammates in the Eglin, Hurlburt and Tyndall area for their perseverance, selflessness, and dedication as they all prepared for this storm,” Pares said.
Eglin/Hurlburt General Manager Dale Killip and Tyndall GM David Gentry are in active communication with their commands and communities to ensure that the Exchange providing maximum support while ensuring safety for its teams.
At Eglin/Hurlburt, all sites have been closed for Friday. Eglin is scheduled to reopen Saturday after a storm assessment. Hurlburt will remain closed until at least Sunday. Both stores will be fully stocked when they reopen. Fuel pumps are shrink-wrapped, exteriors of all facilities are secured and sandbags have been placed at flood-prone entrances.
Similar precautions have been taken at Tyndall, where sites have also been closed until at least Saturday, when the BX is scheduled to reopen, pending a storm assessment.
The Fort Rucker Exchange, in southern Alabama roughly 90 miles north of Eglin/Hurlburt, closed all facilities early Friday afternoon in preparation for the storm. The Maxwell AFB Exchange in Montgomery, Alabama, and the Keesler AFB Exchange, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, also closed earlier. All have taken precautions similar to the ones at the Florida Exchanges.
During hurricane season, the Exchange boosts inventory of essential supplies including batteries, flashlights, generators and bottled water at its distribution centers to ensure high-demand products can be deployed to PXs and BXs quickly. The Exchange’s Disaster Support Group—made up of a team of leaders from around the globe—keeps a close watch on weather developments to effectively respond to storms.
(Map credit: NOAA/National Weather Service)
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