Coast Guard crew prepare and relocate aircraft out of the main path of the storm to be ready to respond as soon as the worst passes.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Bradley Pigage.
NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard is pre-staging the response of their assets on Saturday and established an Area Command in preparation for Hurricane Ida.
Coast Guard assets across the region were repositioned and pre-staged to preserve readiness and to provide support for areas expected to be impacted by the impending hurricane.
Hurricane Ida is expected to make landfall Sunday. The Coast Guard advises that you monitor your local weather services to stay updated on any potential changes.
The following assets have been pre-staged:
- Four MH-65 Dolphin Helicopters and six shallow-water response boats in Louisiana.
- Two MH-65 Dolphin Helicopters and three shallow-water response boats in Houston.
- Two MH-65 Dolphin Helicopters and three HC-144A Ocean Sentry airplanes in Corpus Christi.
- Five MH-65 Dolphin Helicopters, three MH-60T Jayhawk Helicopters, and two HC-144A Ocean Sentry in Mobile, Alabama.
- Three shallow-water response boats in Memphis, Tennessee.
More assets are in the process of being repositioned as Hurricane Ida approaches.
“As we prepare for Hurricane Ida, we are urging people in the area to remain vigilant,” said Cmdr. Scott Williams, Coast Guard Area Commander for the hurricane Ida response. “Our ability to conduct rescues can be diminished or non-existent at the height of a storm, but we have our crews staged and ready to respond to emergencies immediately after the hurricane passes.”
The Coast Guard regularly relocates crews and aircraft out of the immediate path of a storm for safety and to be ready to respond once the worst conditions have subsided.
U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan Dickinson.
The Coast Guard is warning the public of these important safety messages:
- Stay off the water. Hurricanes and tropical storms can be deadly and our ability to conduct rescues can be diminished or non-existent at the height of a storm. Be prepared, stay informed and heed storm warnings.
- Be prepared. Owners of large boats are urged to move their vessels to inland marinas where they will be less vulnerable to breaking free of their moorings or sustaining damage. Mooring lines should be doubled in case of high winds. Boats that can be trailered should be pulled from the water and stored in a place that is not prone to flooding. Those who are leaving their boats in the water are reminded to remove EPIRBs and to secure life rings, life jackets, and small boats. These items, if not properly secured, can break free and require valuable search and rescue resources to be diverted to ensure people are not in distress.
- Evacuate as necessary. If mandatory evacuations are set for an area, the public should evacuate without delay. Coast Guard personnel and other emergency responders may not be able to evacuate or rescue those in danger during the storm.
- Secure belongings. Owners of large boats are urged to move their vessels to inland marinas where they will be less vulnerable to breaking free of their moorings or to sustaining damage. Trailer-able boats should be pulled from the water and stored in a place that is not prone to flooding. Those who are leaving their boats in the water are reminded to remove EPIRBs and to secure life rings, lifejackets and small boats. These items, if not properly secured, can break free and require valuable search and rescue resources be diverted to ensure people are not in distress.
- Stay informed. The public should monitor the progress and strength of the storm through local television, radio, and the Internet. Boaters can monitor its progress on VHF radio channel 16. Information can also be obtained on small craft advisories and warnings on VHF radio channel 16.
- For more information on hurricane preparedness visit Ready.Gov and NOAA websites, as well as following them on Twitter.
Coast Guard crew prepare and relocate aircraft out of the main path of the storm to be ready to respond as soon as the worst passes.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Bradley Pigage.
Port conditions change based on weather forecasts, and current port conditions can be viewed on the following Coast Guard homeport webpages:
- Sector Mobile, Alabama Port Directory page.
- Sector New Orleans Port Directory page.
- Sector Houston-Galveston Port Directory page.
- Sector Corpus Christi, Texas Port Directory page.
- Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur, Texas Port Directory page.
- Marine Safety Unit Houma, Louisiana Port Directory page.
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