US Navy Warships Head to Hurricane Battered East Coast
On Wednesday, U.S. Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby stated that the helicopter carrier USS Wasp has headed toward the hurricane battered New York/New Jersey coast to gain improved positioning and that Fleet Commader Admiral William E. Gortney has ordered an additional two amphibious ships (USS San Antonio and USS Carter Hall) to follow.
Although the three warships have not officially been assigned with any specific missions, the decision for this positioning was made to provide close proximity access to Navy should the immediate need for support arise. Any tasks, if assigned, will be coordinated by U.S. Nothern Command.
The coastal areas of New York and New Jersey, as well as several outlying areas were inundated by hurricane force winds and record setting storm surges from Hurricane Sandy. FEMA and U.S. National Guard are currently responding to rescue and assistance missions covering a vast area where the storm took its strongest tolls.
Of the more than 2.5 million homes and businesses without power in New York and New Jersey as of Friday morning, many of those are also without water. Estimates show that many will be without power until as long as mid-November.
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While shipping ports have re-opened to certain critical traffic such as fuel tankers, the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy has proved especially dire for gasoline supply in New York and New Jersey. Reports of gas shortages and gas stations with waiting lines exceeding one mile are not uncommon, with many stations reporting that they're completely without gasoline due to non-availablity of deliveries.
Stay tuned to the Maritime Executive for information on post-hurricane shipping, port, and military updates.