FORT LEE, Va. (Sept. 1, 2011) -- When Hurricane Irene approached the East Coast, dire projections for flooding, power outages and other damages were made for much of the eastern coastline from the Carolinas to Maine.
Last week, Fort Lee began preparations for potential evacuations - bringing in cots, and other supplies - and it became a safe haven for Coast Guard boats out of Portsmouth and military working dogs from Joint Base Langley-Eustis.
While warnings were sent out about the potential for electricity outages, many dismissed them as unlikely.
However, more than 10 hours of the onslaught from the hurricane proved too much for many of the trees and electric poles across the installation. Most of the installation lost power Saturday and crews began working around the clock to clean the debris from roads to allow travel for emergency vehicles.
The Emergency Family Assistance Centers went operational Sunday at the multiple chapels on post. For Fort Lee families without power, it gave them a location to charge cell phones, use microwaves and just relax in an air-conditioned room. The FAC was staffed by Army Community Service.
Other organizations stepped up to provide assistance as well. The Fort Lee Religious Services granted more than $4,000 to families for food purchases. The Commissary opened Monday when they are typically closed to help families who lost food during the storm.
Many families turned to social media, especially Facebook, to be kept updated on available support services and the timeline for power restoration.
By Wednesday morning, all of housing and most of the offices had power restored. By the end of Wednesday, the rest of the post - except for the ammunition supply point and North Range - was scheduled to be back online. (As of press time, it is unknown if power was restored to the remaining locations.)
Off-post, many Fort Lee families - military, civilians and contractors - will have power outages until Friday or Saturday.
Downed trees and power lines still exist because of Hurricane Irene. Temple Avenue, between the Ordnance Campus gate and Highway 36, was still impassible, as of press time Wednesday. Fort Lee Police have been posted and are directing traffic there.
While the storm has cleared, clean-up efforts will continue across the Tri-Cities and surrounding communities. For information on how to reach out and help, see Page 9.
For more information about being prepared for the next storm, see Page 19 for information about Ready Army, or visit www.acsim.army.mil/readyarmy. Also, this week's Sgt. McGillicuddy's Crossword is a crossword featured from Ready Army Kids about Hurricanes.
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