US Navy ships and submarines based in Hawaii not currently undergoing maintenance availabilities have sortied as Tropical Storm Olivia travels toward the Hawaiian Islands.
Ships that sortied will be positioned to help respond after the storm, if needed.
“Sortie of our Pearl Harbor-based ships allows them the most protection from the approaching storm,” Rear Adm. Brian Fort, commander, Navy Region Hawaii/ Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific, said.
“An early sortie allows them enough time to transit safely out of the path of the storm,” he added.
As explained, the navy ordered a sortie in order to reduce the risk of significant damage to ships and piers during potential high winds and seas caused by Tropical Storm Olivia. Some ships will not get underway, due to various maintenance availabilities, and are taking extra precautions to avoid potential damage.
Commanding officers have a number of options when staying in port, depending on the severity of the weather. Some of these options include adding additional mooring and storm lines, dropping the anchor, and disconnecting shore power cables.