Exchange Prepares as Hurricane Idalia Approaches
Exchange teams are rallying to support the MacDill Air Force Base Exchange, where Hurricane Idalia is expected to make nearby landfall Wednesday morning.
The hurricane is expected to generate 8- to 12-foot surges along the Gulf Coast, including the Tampa Bay area, where MacDill is located. Hurricane-force winds and flash flooding are also risks. MacDill command closed the installation and evacuated all non-essential personnel at 10 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, although an Express with gas at MacDill was allowed to stay open slightly later.
“Our gas station will stay open until noon, at which time we will secure the building and the pumps and leave the installation,” General Manager Nicholas Nguyen said during a Disaster Support Group (DSG) call Tuesday morning.
Nguyen added that all associates have been accounted for and “will be hunkering down where they feel safe.” Nguyen is also responsible for the Patrick Space Force Base Exchange, which is on the Atlantic Coast, out of the hurricane’s path. Operations are normal at Patrick and other Exchanges on the eastern side of the state, including SOUTHCOM and Homestead Air Reserve Base, Nguyen said.
In November, MacDill and other southern Florida Exchanges received minor damage during Hurricane Nicole. Most damage was limited to downed chain-link fences and roof leaks from fallen ceiling tiles.
Idalia is expected to have a lesser impact to the Florida Panhandle, where the Exchange has stores on three installations. Georgia Exchanges met Tuesday to determine their status for Wednesday, where Hurricane Idalia could hit the southeastern portion of the state by Wednesday afternoon. Possibly affected installations include Forts Moore, Gordon and Stewart; Robins and Moody Air Force Bases; and Hunter Army Airfield.
Teams were also preparing for possible effects on installations in South Carolina and North Carolina. Central East Area Vice President Chris Holifield said that the primary concern is for Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina, where tropical storm-force winds are expected as early as Wednesday evening.
All Charleston Exchange facilities are expected to have normal hours Wednesday except the Express, which will close two hours early to allow associates to get home safely. Depending on power availability, the Express will reopen at 10 a.m. Thursday and other facilities will open at 11.
The Fuel team keeping an eye on developments in the hurricane’s path.
“We’re watching quite a large area,” Vice President of Fuel Operations Steven Davalos said during the DSG meeting. “We are immediately Florida-centered but we are looking ahead.”
Davalos said that the prime focus is on MacDill, where two fuel deliveries arrived on Monday and a third Tuesday morning before the storm. “Their total fuel on the ground right now is 27,000 gallons,” he said. “So we feel that they’re in pretty good shape.”
Inventory support reported that it is well-stocked with water and crucial supplies, and ready to fulfill requests from affected stores. On Saturday, the Dan Daniel Distribution Center received a request from MacDill command for bottled water. By Monday morning, drivers delivered 19 pallets of 24-packs of water to MacDill.
Seven mobile field Exchanges are available for support, including two that are already prepared to move to Eastern Region on short notice if necessary.
Every year, Exchange teams prepare well in advance to support military communities during hurricane season. At headquarters, merchandising teams strengthen the inventory position of high-demand supplies, such as water, flashlights, batteries, generators and extension cords, at distribution centers so products quickly deploy to PXs and BXs if needed. Additionally, the HQ fuel team coordinates inventory availability with suppliers and carriers to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply to affected Express locations.
As Hurricane Idalia approached Florida, Tammar Tracey, general manager of the Fort Johnson Exchange in Louisiana, was working with the installation, Human Resources and the Employee Assistance Program to help associates who were affected by a wildfire. All associates are safe, although two did suffer damage at their homes.
