Naval District Washington is gearing up for an extensive hurricane preparedness and disaster response exercise from April 22 to May 3. This exercise underscores the Navy’s commitment to bolstering resilience against natural disasters.
Exercise HURREX/CITADEL GALE 2024 is conducted by the Commanders of U.S. Fleet Forces Command and Navy Installations Command. It mobilizes all naval regions and installations along the eastern coast and the Gulf region. The annual event is a testament to the Navy’s dedication to refining its emergency protocols.
Jeff Sanford, NDW’s Regional Emergency Management Director, emphasizes the significance of this drill, stating, “Conducting this exercise yearly is crucial for ensuring our emergency teams are skilled and well-prepared to navigate the challenges of extreme weather conditions.”
“This year, we’re particularly focused on advancing our post-storm recovery strategies for our missions, personnel, and operational continuity.”
HURREX/CG 2024 is designed to fortify shore-based and seafaring command units’ readiness and recovery frameworks in anticipation of the hurricane season. It also fosters collaborative exercises with local and state partners, fortifying the Navy’s capacity to provide support during what is anticipated to be a notably turbulent hurricane season in 2024.
While concerted efforts are being made to minimize inconvenience to local communities and base operations, residents may experience occasional increased traffic or access delays near bases during the exercise.
For more NDW information, please visit www.facebook.com/NavDistWash, https://www.instagram.com/navdistwash/, https://www.cnic.navy.mil/regions/ndw.html.