"Hundreds of Millions in damage" Pensacola Naval A

[logybogy]

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/blo ... lions.html

Hurricane Ivan has brought to a standstill the training of new Naval aviators and their support personnel.

Pensacola Naval Air Station has sustained “hundreds of millions” of dollars in damage and will be closed for repairs indefinitely, said Capt. John Pruitt, commanding officer at the base.

About 9,000 students, training to become anything from aviation electricians to Naval flight officers, are stationed aboard the base at any given time, said spokesman Patrick Nichols.

All buildings along the water, particularly those in the historic Navy yards area in the southeastern section of the base, have been flooded badly. Many have lost all or portions of their roofs.

“I’ve described it as almost catastrophic,” said Pruitt, dressed in full fatigues and wearing gold-rimmed sunglasses.

[Pebbles]

That report makes me not wanna know what the prelim amounts on Ivan are going to be.

[logybogy]

Another article.

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,1 ... 04,00.html

It says 90% of buildings on the base experienced "significant" damage.

[HurryKane]

Old friend of mine is stationed as a pilot at NAS. Heard through a mutual friend that while he and other pilots flew the planes out, they will not be flying them back and will be bussed back instead.

The mutual friend described NAS in the pilot's words as "Gone."

[yzerfan]

I did Blue Angels Marathon at NAS last February, and am now very glad I did that one instead of New Orleans. It was a beautiful place- lots of old buildings and real character that you don't see at newer bases. I'm glad I had the chance to experience it before everything changed.

[Frank P]

I think they are way to short on the estimates for the cost of this hurricane... I have not see this kind of devastation in an area since Camille... you look at the entire path of Ivan, all the way up the east coast, and the totals are going to add up in a hurry... whether or not it tops Andrew remains to be seen, but I've been watching the total devastation on TV for three days and I'm in total shock... miles and miles of roadways under water, bridges destroyed, barrier islands reconfigured and rearranged, large condos totally destroyed, many houses and parts of the islands now a part of the GOM or inland bays.... bodies still being found, people still missing... this is an epic hurricane .... and my heart really goes out to the people hardest hit... I know from first hand being a victim of Camille, and losing everything I owned, so I know from first hand experience... this storm was much much worse than Opal.... just ask anyone from the Pensacola, Perdido Key, Gulf Shore, Orange Beach area...

sad state of affairs for the panhandle... and if it would have not taken that jog to the nne, and stayed on the nnw course, that could have been Biloxi again.... we are so fortunate on the MS coast.. and I kinda feel guilty about it...

[logybogy]

Some Photos of the damage at the base

http://www.news.navy.mil/view_photos.asp

[wxwatcher2]

Wonder if they'll rebuild?

[HurryKane]

Wonder if they'll rebuild?

Yes.

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/new ... E3F7.shtml

[Captain Pruitt] said top Navy officials had given him full support of the effort to rebuild.

That is where all efforts are focused.