An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Florida Prepares for Ian as Alaska Recovers From Merbok

You have accessed part of a historical collection on defense.gov. Some of the information contained within may be outdated and links may not function. Please contact the DOD Webmaster with any questions.

As Alaska National Guardsmen continue to help communities in western Alaska impacted by the remnants of Typhoon Merbok, service members in Florida are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Ian. 

Two airmen handle a chainsaw while standing in a room.
Chainsaw Instruction
Air Force Tech Sgts. Chris Linton, left, and James Bishop provide instruction on the use of a chainsaw at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, Fla., Sept. 26, 2022, ahead of Hurricane Ian response. Nearly 40 airmen assigned to the 202nd Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Engineers will mobilize to hurricane-affected areas to remove roadway debris as part of disaster response efforts.
Credit: Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Chelsea Smith
VIRIN: 220926-Z-XV261-1012
Three ships travel in formation in blue water.
Cutter Transit
The Coast Guard cutters Joshua Appleby, Shrike and Richard Snyder transit from St. Petersburg, Fla., to Mobile, Ala., Sept. 25, 2022, to avoid the impacts of Hurricane Ian.
Credit: Coast Guard Sector Mobile
VIRIN: 220925-G-G0108-1005R
Airmen move a helicopter inside an open aircraft.
Pave Hawk Placement
Airmen place an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter inside a C-17 Globemaster aircraft before departure from Patrick Space Force Base, Fla., Sept. 26, 2022, in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Ian.
Credit: Air Force Master. Sgt. Kelly Goonan
VIRIN: 220911-F-PB262-1335R

The National Hurricane Center is providing frequent updates on Ian's progress.

In Alaska, National Guardsmen are supporting Operation Merbok Response as part of a joint task force that also includes members of the Alaska Naval Militia and the Alaska State Defense Force after Merbok's remnants caused dramatic flooding across more than 1,000 miles of coastline in the state.

Merbok Response By the Numbers
Service members clean up debris along a damaged boardwalk near buildings.
Newtok Ops
Alaska National Guardsmen assigned to Joint Task Force Bethel clear storm debris in Newtok, Alaska, as part of Operation Merbok Response, Sept. 22, 2022.
Credit: Army 1st Lt. Balinda O'Neal
VIRIN: 220922-Z-CA180-2023R
164 Alaska service members assisting
2,000-plus work hours
125,000-plus pounds of debris removed
16 communities served

Alaska Army National Guard helicopters had flown more than 7,000 miles and logged more than 70 flight hours as of Sept. 26 in support of response efforts.

{{slideNumber}}/{{numSlides}} - {{slideCaption}}
Credit: {{photographer}}
VIRIN: {{virin}}
{{slideNumber}} of {{numSlides}}

{{slideNumber}}/{{numSlides}} {{slideTitle}} - {{slideCaption}}

{{slideInfo.slideNumber}}/{{numSlides}} {{slideInfo.slideTitle}} - {{slideInfo.slideCaption}}

Related Stories