JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Despite the pandemic, Jacksonville's naval stations are getting prepared for hurricane season -- training will just look a little bit different.
“Thunderstorms, hurricanes, destructive weather,” Mayport Naval Station Chief Damage Controlman Mark Robins said it will be ready for it all.
The prep might seem second nature to the First Coast, but the Navy will be reminding its sailors how it’ll work if a big storm rolls in.
“Hurrex is a training opportunity basically for everybody to dust off the cobwebs from being in the offseason," Robins said. "It gives us a good chance to review our plans."
He explained the annual training is having to adapt because of social distancing.
The Navy will be going over plans on how to save personnel, equipment and installations from damage virtually next week.
“It does present challenges, but we are doing a very good job working through it," Robins said.
If an evacuation does happen, Mayport Director of Personnel Security Al Iannacone said sailors are entitled to their pay and all of their other normal resources.
He asks sailors to stay in communication with the base, and just start thinking about hurricane season -- as all families should on the First Coast.
“You need to have a plan ahead of time. If you’re not thinking about it now, you should be," Iannacone urged. "It’s going to happen -- maybe not two months from now, but it will happen.”