{"id":19400,"date":"2018-09-15T18:22:39","date_gmt":"2018-09-15T18:22:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/09\/15\/navy-vessels-aircraft-start-returning-to-hampton-roads\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:58:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:58:10","slug":"navy-vessels-aircraft-start-returning-to-hampton-roads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/09\/15\/navy-vessels-aircraft-start-returning-to-hampton-roads\/","title":{"rendered":"Navy vessels, aircraft start returning to Hampton Roads"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NORFOLK, Va. \u2014 With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhc.noaa.gov\/text\/refresh\/MIATCPAT1+shtml\/151752.shtml\" target=_blank>Florence<\/a> now ashore and dissipating from a hurricane into a slow-moving tropical storm, the Navy is calling back most of the ships and aircraft that escaped southern Virginia last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Saturday morning, Norfolk-based <a href=\"https:\/\/www.public.navy.mil\/usff\/Pages\/default.aspx\" target=_blank>Fleet Forces Command<\/a> ordered nearly 30 ships and 128 aircraft that sortied to return to Hampton Roads, according to a Navy press release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The order came a day after Navy Region Mid-Atlantic rescinded its mandatory evacuation of all shore-based personnel and families residing in flood-prone areas, greenlighting their return to the Norfolk region as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/09\/14\/americas-armed-forces-punch-back-at-uninvited-brute-who-doesnt-want-to-leave\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/hurricanesc.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">America\u2019s armed forces punch back at \u2018uninvited brute who doesn\u2019t want to leave.\u2019<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">&quot;Hurricane Florence is powerful, slow and relentless.&quot;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a Saturday afternoon announcement, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic commander Rear Adm. Charles Rock set all Navy installations in the Hampton Roads area at Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness Five, removing Florence as a direct threat to military facilities here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That returns shore crews and facilities to normal operating conditions and prepares military and civilian employees to support the return of the vessels and aircraft that left last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI am very proud of the hard work and dedication of our total force \u2014 sailors, civilians and families \u2014 who worked so hard to prepare for a major hurricane in our area,\u201d said Rock in a written statement emailed to Navy Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe were so fortunate Hurricane Florence did not impact us, but are thinking of those who felt the brunt of the storm in North Carolina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rock\u2019s order allows commissaries and Navy Exchanges to reopen, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2018\/09\/13\/warships-kearsarge-arlington-will-chase-florence-in-lead-rescues-after-storm-hits\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18255799141430.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Warships Kearsarge, Arlington will \u2018chase Florence in,\u2019 lead rescues after storm hits<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">DoD surrounds storm impact area with response forces.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two Navy vessels will remain at sea under the control of Colorado-based Northern Command, however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The amphibious warships Kearsarge and Arlington sailed behind Florence and are ready to respond to the needs of local emergency management officials in the Carolinas, if requested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u201cDusty Dogs\u201d of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 7 will be on call, too. They departed the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln for Norfolk on Saturday morning to provide emergency management officials with land-based rotary wing aircraft, if they need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"658\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TF2.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-41371\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TF2.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TF2.jpg.jpg?resize=300,165 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TF2.jpg.jpg?resize=768,421 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TF2.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,561 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rear Adm. Brad Skillman, the commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 2, meets with Navy and Marine leaders of Combined Task Force 89 to plan Hurricane Florence relief efforts. U.S. Naval Forces Northern Command deployed Kearsarge, along with embarked elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Expeditionary Strike Group 2 command element, to be positioned to provide Defense Support to Civil Authorities from the sea in response to Hurricane Florence, should support be requested. (Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Mike DiMestico\/Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Navy aircraft will begin returning to southern Virginia on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Naval Station Norfolk will give priority to helicopters, which might be needed for rescue and relief efforts, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ships and submarines are slated to begin returning on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe decision to return naval assets to their homeport follows thorough inspections of port and airfield prior to opening for operations,\u201d the Fleet Forces Command release said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fleet Forces Command\u2019s statement was echoed by Coast Guard officials, who reopened civilian ports to commercial traffic on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cCoast Guard Sector Hampton Roads is coordinating very closely with our port partners to ensure a quick and safe recovery from Hurricane Florence,\u201d said Capt. Kevin Carroll, the commander of Sector Hampton Roads, in a written statement sent to Navy Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur number one priority is saving lives and preventing life-endangering activities on our waterways. After that, restoring the free-flow of vessel traffic is a top priority, and we realize that our port and personnel could be critical in assisting areas that were more heavily impacted by the storm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"600\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CoastHurricane.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-41378\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CoastHurricane.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CoastHurricane.jpg.jpg?resize=300,150 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CoastHurricane.jpg.jpg?resize=768,384 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/CoastHurricane.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,512 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team Georgetown crew members warn a mariner of the conditions of Tropical Storm Florence on Saturday in South Carolina.  (Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Murray\/Coast Guard)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Saturday at noon, Coast Guard officials in Charleston, South Carolina, also reopened that port but the piers in Georgetown remain at condition Zulu until patrol boats can finish waterway danger assessments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Coast Guard in South Carolina is committed to a swift recovery from the storm with search and rescue operations and safety of life as our ongoing priority,\u201d said Capt. John Reed, Sector Charleston\u2019s commander, in a press release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Our next priority is to resume the flow of maritime commerce stability through the ports of South Carolina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/09\/14\/americas-armed-forces-punch-back-at-uninvited-brute-who-doesnt-want-to-leave\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/hurricanesc.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">America\u2019s armed forces punch back at \u2018uninvited brute who doesn\u2019t want to leave.\u2019<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">&quot;Hurricane Florence is powerful, slow and relentless.&quot;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Coast Guard moves came on the heels of a busy night in North Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officials at the Coast Guard command post Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro said that they\u2019re speeding up response operations in the northeastern section of the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since Florence made landfall around Wrightsville Beach on Friday morning, Coast Guard crews have rescued five people in the Tar Heel state, officials reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They\u2019ve deployed 35 shallow-water rescue boat teams to the state and continue air rescue operations out of Elizabeth City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWeather conditions are allowing us to accelerate operations in the northeast portion of the state,\u201d said Capt. Bion Stewart, leader of the Coast Guard\u2019s response to Hurricane Florence in North Carolina, in a written statement emailed to Navy Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe continue to assess conditions in the central and southeast portion of the state to identify opportunities to safely increase operations in those areas as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Hurricanehelo.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-41383\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Hurricanehelo.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Hurricanehelo.jpg.jpg?resize=300,157 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Hurricanehelo.jpg.jpg?resize=768,402 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Hurricanehelo.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,536 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The &#8220;Dusty Dogs&#8221; of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron  7 departed the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln to return to Norfolk to provide support to emergency management officials, if needed.  (Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The National Hurricane Center in Miami continues to warn the public about the dangers of Florence, a storm centered about 50 miles west of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, but trudging toward the Appalachian Mountains at only about 3 miles per hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s expected to turn northwest toward the Ohio Valley by Sunday but life-threatening storm surges continue from Myrtle Beach to the Ocracoke Inlet and Pamlico Sound in North Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Forecasters predict another 15 to 20 inches of rain across coastal North Carolina and far northeast South Carolina, adding to the 30 to 40 inches already drenching the region south of Cape Hatteras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meteorologists warn of catastrophic flash flooding and rising rivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A preliminary report from <a href=\"https:\/\/swansboro-nc.org\/\" target=_blank>Swansboro<\/a> indicates that North Carolina community has received more than 30 inches of rain. That breaks the tropical cyclone rainfall record of just over 24 inches for the Tar Heel state set during Hurricane Floyd in 1999.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Saturday morning, Norfolk-based Fleet Forces Command ordered nearly 30 ships and 128 aircraft that sortied last week to return to Hampton Roads.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":41364,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":65,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["your-military","news"],"primary_category":"your-military"}}},"categories":[101,23,88,12,26,65],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3087],"class_list":["post-19400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-navy"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"6A5LNJAA2JDBTGJNNTCFR35NLM","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/09\/15\/navy-vessels-aircraft-start-returning-to-hampton-roads\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Navy vessels, aircraft start returning to Hampton Roads - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"On Saturday morning, Norfolk-based Fleet Forces Command ordered nearly 30 ships and 128 aircraft that sortied last week to return to Hampton Roads.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Navy vessels, aircraft start returning to Hampton Roads\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On Saturday morning, Norfolk-based Fleet Forces Command ordered nearly 30 ships and 128 aircraft that sortied last week to return to Hampton Roads.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/09\/15\/navy-vessels-aircraft-start-returning-to-hampton-roads\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Navy Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-09-15T18:22:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T18:58:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark D. Faram\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mark D. Faram\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2018\\\/09\\\/15\\\/navy-vessels-aircraft-start-returning-to-hampton-roads\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/news\\\/your-navy\\\/2018\\\/09\\\/15\\\/navy-vessels-aircraft-start-returning-to-hampton-roads\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            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