News Search

ACC warns Airmen: Get ready for severe weather

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Nick Wilson
  • Air Combat Command Public Affairs

Hurricane season started on June 1 and will extend through the beginning of the holiday season, ending Nov. 30.

Additionally, tornado season is also happening at the same time.

According to a fact sheet from the National Severe Storms Laboratory, tornado season began around March and will continue throughout the month of June for states located near the gulf coast, while the peak season for the Southern Plains occurs during May or early June.

Comparatively, the peak tornado season in the Midwest and northern plains occurs during June or July.

History shows that powerful tornadoes and major outbreaks have been recorded in each month of the year.

Recently, an Air Force Severe Weather Readiness Action team assembled to take a deep analytical dive into recent catastrophic weather events that affected military resources and military families. Air Combat Command plans to release articles that discuss framework created by the SWRA team in the weeks to come.

To sharpen a proactive preparedness posture, ACC plans to release additional severe weather readiness guidance to all wings, numbered air forces and direct reporting units located in high risk areas of the United States.

“We had four events, which we did a case study on to kind of help us frame what we wanted to do,” said U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Christopher P. Weggeman, Deputy Commander of Air Combat Command. “There was a tropical cyclone event out in the Pacific Ocean, where a lot of winds kind of caught a base off guard. We also had a thunderstorm-based severe wind event in the AOR, which caused a significant amount of damage, luckily just to equipment and not to a lot of people.

“And then we had the two back to back hurricanes that we’re all familiar with. We had hurricane Florence, which was near and dear to us here at Langley, from a water flood-state perspective. And then of course, hurricane Michael, a category five storm, which basically laid waste to (Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida).”

Although severe weather occurs at Air Force bases worldwide, the most recent events impacting ACC resources spawned from hurricanes and tornadoes in the United States.

For tips and specific information on how to prepare for a hurricane or a tornado, click here.

To access detailed information on a multitude of severe weather threats, click here.