Four days out and the storm’s roar is still echoing through MacDill in Florida and Moody in Georgia. Services are down, gates are shut tight to just the essential few who’re patching things up, all thanks to Hurricane Helene that came tearing through like a banshee.
Now, MacDill, that old warhorse perched right by Tampa Bay, got a real soaking. Floods, blackouts, and roads littered with what the hurricane spat out. Over on social, base brass shared snaps of the chaos—roads underwater and signs ripped apart by Helene’s fury.
Col. Ed Szczepanik and his right-hand man, Chief Master Sgt. Raun M. Howell from the 6th Air Refueling Wing, they’re on the horn telling folks power’s a no-go in parts of the base, including where the troops bunk and the families live. They’re in the trenches, working to juice up the whole place again.
Then there’s the photo that got everyone talking—the road to CENTCOM’s HQ looking more like a river, and the base sign missing its “C” like it ducked out early. The base was locked down through the end of September, but come today, they’re cracking the gates a bit for folks living there and those with doc appointments.
Before Helene hit, MacDill sent its KC-135 tankers packing, safe from the storm’s reach. They aren’t home yet, but the missions don’t stop. They’re flying sorties from spots Helene couldn’t touch.
Down at Moody, right in Helene’s path, it’s more of the same. Col. Ben Rudolphi put the word out—base is closed to anyone who’s not essential and don’t even think about wandering around post-sunset unless you want to tangle with the MPs.
Lowndes County is in the thick of it too—no power, trees down, and folks are scrambling for gas and clean water. Rudolphi had to call for an evacuation with conditions being a mess and all.
And Moody? It sent its warbirds—A-10s, MC-130s, and HH-60s—out of Helene’s reach. Where they’re at now is anyone’s guess.
While MacDill and Moody are picking up the pieces, other bases like Tyndall, Eglin, and Robins lucked out, dodging Helene’s wrath with barely a scratch.
That’s the skinny—Helene’s left a mark, but these bases, they’ve weathered storms before. They’ll stand up, dust off, and keep on keeping on because that’s what they do. But it’s a tightrope walk between getting things running and keeping everyone safe. No room for errors, not now.
