Follow our social media channels and Digital Garrison App as we continue with around the clock updates to keep you informed and safe.
Hurricane Milton Updates
ACCESS CONTROL POINT UPDATE: The Rio Gate at Hunter Army Airfield will be closed from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Friday, October 11. The gate will be closed to support debris clean up from Hurricane Milton on Rio Road. Rio Road will also be closed during this time.
- Holbrook Campground and Lotts Island will remain closed today and Child Development Centers will operate on a regular schedule. Follow the Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation social media platforms for additional updates.
- DODEA schools will operate on a regular schedule today.
- AAFES and the commissaries will open at scheduled times today.
- Holbrook Campground and Lotts Island will close today in preparation for the storm and will remain closed tomorrow. Child Development Centers will operate on a regular schedule tomorrow. Follow the Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation social media platforms for additional updates.
- DODEA schools will operate on a regular schedule tomorrow.
- AAFES and the commissaries will open at scheduled times tomorrow.
Hurricane Helene Informantion
HURRICANE HELENE-RELIEF GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR SOLDIERS, RETIRED SOLDIERS, ARMY FAMILIES - Army Emergency Relief Headquarters approved disaster assistance to eligible individuals impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Eligible Army personnel may be provided financial assistance to assist with expenses associated with basic essential needs to sustain oneself after the storm.
Those eligible include:
- Soldiers on active duty and their eligible Family members
- Soldiers retired from active duty because of longevity and their eligible Family members
- Retired Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers receiving retired pay and their Family members
- Medically retired Soldiers and their dependents, including those placed on the Permanent Disability Retired List or Temporary Disability Retirement List
- Surviving spouses and children of Soldiers who died while on active duty (including those on Title 10 Orders) or in an eligible retired status
- Members of the Reserve Component of the Army (National Guard and Army Reserve under Title 10 U.S.C) on continuous active duty for more than 30 consecutive days and their eligible Family members
How to get help:
Contact your local AER office:
- Fort Stewart, Georgia: 912-767-5058
- Those who aren’t located near an AER office, but are located within 50 miles of a Navy or Marine Corps base can reach out to that installation’s Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society.
- Outside the 50-mile radius of an Army installation or Navy/Marine Corps base: contact the American Red Cross at 1-877-272-7337. AER distributes emergency financial assistance through the Red Cross where or when an AER office is not available.
There is a high risk for tornadoes associated with Helene. The risk for tornadoes will increase this afternoon and peak tonight into early Friday morning.
Expect tropical storm force winds, with gusts between 40 to 60 mph. Wind speeds should peak late tonight as the center of Helene moves across central Georgia.
Clusters of showers associated with Helene are impacting the region.
Expect an increase in rain intensity throughout the remainder of the evening.
Installation status follows:
Avoid using State Road 119 & 144 during the hours of 10 p.m. until 7 a.m. Highways 119 and 144 are off-limits for military personnel with the exception of official duties and emergencies.
Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield - Bingo canceled tonight.
Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield - Golf Courses are closed today.
Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield – Bowling Centers to close at 4 p.m.
Club Stewart and Hunter Club closing at 4 p.m.
iSportsman activities/ registration closed at 4 p.m.
Fort Stewart Auto Skills Center is closed.
Fitness Centers - Johnson, Tominac, Newman – close at 4 p.m. (24/7 service still available)
Fort Stewart Corkan Recreation Area closed.
Here are the latest updates on the impact from Hurricane Helene.
A tornado watch has been issued until 9 p.m.
There is a high risk for tornadoes associated with Helene. The risk for tornadoes will increase this afternoon and peak tonight into early Friday morning.
Expect tropical storm force winds, with frequent gusts of 40 to 60 mph. Wind speeds should peak late tonight as the center of Helene moves across central Georgia.
Both Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield Education Centers will close today at 4 p.m. All evening classes will be canceled at both locations.
The Marne Chapel will close today at 3 p.m. Religious services are canceled this evening.
No after school activities for DODEA
Commissary is operating on a normal schedule and will close at 8 p.m.
Hunter Army Airfield will close Rio and Wilson gates at 6 p.m.
The Montgomery Gate will be open 24 hours.
The following gates on Fort Stewart will be closed at 6.p.m.
Gate 3 - Britt Gate
Gate 4B – 2ABCT PT Gate
Gate 4C – 2ABCT PT Gate
Gate 7 – McGarr Gate
Gate 8 – Barkley Gate
Continue to monitor the official social media channels of Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield for
NOW is the time to get prepared for this storm!
Here are some potential impacts:
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4-6 inches of Rainfall
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Strong winds with gusts above 40 mph
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Possible Tornadoes.
https://www.facebook.com/FortStewartHunterArmyAirfield/videos/2574705806034920
For more tips and up to date information, continue to monitor Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield official social media channels.
NOAA Map
HURRICANE
HURRICANE FORECASTS
CSU researchers predicting well above-average 2024 Atlantic hurricane season
May 15, 2024
Given the combined hurricane-favorable signals of an extremely warm Atlantic and a likely developing La Niña, the forecast team has higher-than-normal confidence for an April outlook that the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season will be very active. This is the highest prediction for hurricanes that CSU has ever issued with their April outlook. The prior highest April forecast was for nine hurricanes, which has been called for several times since the university began issuing April forecasts in 1995. However, the team stresses that the April outlook historically has the lowest level of skill of CSU’s operational seasonal hurricane forecasts, given the considerable changes that can occur in the atmosphere-ocean between April and the peak of
the Atlantic hurricane season from August–October.
ATLANTIC SEASONAL HURRICANE ACTIVITY
| Forecast Parameter and 1991–2020 | Average | 2024 Forecast |
| Named Storms (NS) | 14.4 | 17-24 |
| Named Storm Days (NSD) | 69.4 | 115 |
| Hurricanes (H) | 72 | 8-13 |
| Hurricane Days (HD) | 27..0 | 45 |
| Major Hurricanes (MH) | 3.2 | 4-7 |
| Major Hurricane Days (MHD) | 7.4 | 13 |
| Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) | 123 | 210 |
| ACE West of 60°W | 73 | 125 |
| Net Tropical Cyclone Activity (NTC) | 135% | 220% |
The CSU Tropical Weather and Climate team is predicting 23 named storms during the Atlantic
hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. Of those, researchers forecast eleven to
become hurricanes and five to reach major hurricane strength (Saffir/Simpson Category 3-4-5)
with sustained winds of 111 miles per hour or greater.
The team bases its forecasts on a statistical model, as well as four models that use a
combination of statistical information and model predictions of large-scale conditions from the
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, the UK Met Office, the Japan
Meteorological Agency, and the Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici. These
models use 25-40 years of historical hurricane seasons and evaluate conditions including:
Atlantic sea surface temperatures, sea level pressures, vertical wind shear levels (the change in
wind direction and speed with height in the atmosphere), El Niño (warming of waters in the
central and eastern tropical Pacific), and other factors.
So far, the 2024 hurricane season is exhibiting characteristics similar to 1878, 1926, 1998, 2010
and 2020.
“Our analog seasons were all very active Atlantic hurricane seasons,” said Phil Klotzbach, senior
research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at CSU and lead author of the
report. “This highlights the somewhat lower levels of uncertainty that exist with this outlook
relative to our typical early April outlook.”
The team predicts that 2024 hurricane activity will be about 170% of the average season from
1991–2020. By comparison, 2023’s hurricane activity was about 120% of the average season.
The most significant hurricane of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season was Hurricane Idalia. Idalia
made landfall at Category 3 intensity in the Big Bend region of Florida, causing $3.6 billion
dollars in damage and resulting in eight direct fatalities.
In addition to the various hurricane metrics that CSU has used for many years, the forecast
team introduced a new metric last year. Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) occurring west of
60 degrees west longitude is an integrated metric accounting for storm frequency, intensity and
duration in the western half of the Atlantic basin. ACE generated west of 60 degrees west
correlates better with landfalling storms in the Atlantic basin than basinwide ACE, since virtually
all hurricane-prone landmasses in the Atlantic Ocean are located west of 60 degrees west.
Generally, a slightly lower percentage of basinwide ACE occurs west of 60 degrees west in El
Niño years relative to La Niña years. Since the team anticipates La Niña as the most likely
outcome in 2024, the percentage of basinwide ACE occurring west of 60 degrees west is
predicted to be higher than last year.
The CSU team will issue forecast updates on June 11, July 9 and Aug. 6.
This is the 41st year that CSU has issued an Atlantic basin seasonal hurricane forecast. Professor
Emeritus Bill Gray originated the seasonal forecasts at CSU and launched the report in 1984. He
continued to author them until his death in 2016. The authors of this year’s forecast are Phil
Klotzbach, Professor Michael Bell, Ph.D. candidate Alex DesRosiers, and Research Scientist Levi
Silvers. The CSU Tropical Weather and Climate Team is part of the Department of Atmospheric
Science in the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering at CSU and is one of the top ranked
Atmospheric Science programs in the world.
The CSU forecast is intended to provide a best estimate of activity in the Atlantic during the
upcoming season – not an exact measure.
As always, the researchers caution coastal residents to take proper precautions.
“It takes only one storm near you to make this an active season for you,” Bell said.
Hurricane landfalling probability included in 2024 report
The report also includes the probability of major hurricanes making landfall:
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62% for the entire U.S. coastline (average from 1880–2020 is 43%).
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34% for the U.S. East Coast, including the Florida peninsula (average from 1880–2020 is21%).
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42% for the Gulf Coast from the Florida panhandle westward to Brownsville (average from 1880–2020 is 27%).
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66% for the Caribbean (average from 1880–2020 is 47%).
hurricanes tracking within 50 miles of each county or parish along the Gulf and U.S. East Coast,
as well as hurricane-prone coastal states, Mexican states, Canadian provinces and countries in
Central America and the Caribbean. These probabilities for regions and countries are adjusted
based on the current seasonal forecast.
Tropical Weather Track
National Hurricane Center - Miami, FL.
Tornadoes
Tornado Watch /Tornado Warning issued by the National Weather Service (NWS)
Be Weather-Ready:
Check the forecast regularly to see if you're at risk for tornadoes. Listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio to stay informed about tornado watches and warnings.
Create a Communications Plan:
Have a family plan that includes an emergency meeting place and related 'what to do if...' information. If you live in a mobile home or home without a basement, identify a nearby safe building you can get too quickly, such as a concrete or brick structure.
Pick a safe room in your home:
A safe room can be a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows. Make your family plan at: https://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan
Practice Your Plan:
Conduct a family severe weather drill regularly, so everyone knows what to do if a tornado is approaching. Make sure all members of your family know where to go, when tornado warnings are issued. Don't forget your pets.
Prepare Your Home:
Consider having your safe room reinforced. You can find plans for reinforcing an interior space on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website
https://www.ready.gov/shelter
Lightning
Lightning Safety
Lightning Threat
Minimizing Lightning Risk
Lightning Strike Victims
Flooding
Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield
Flash Flood Watch
A Flash Flood Watch is issued to indicate current or developing conditions that are favorable for flash flooding. The occurrence is neither certain nor imminent. A watch is typically issued within several hours to days ahead of the onset of possible flash flooding.
Flood Watch
A Flood Watch is issued to indicate current or developing conditions that are favorable for flooding. The occurrence is neither certain nor imminent. A watch is typically issued within several hours to days ahead of the onset of possible flooding. In situations where a river or stream is expected to be the main source of the flooding, forecast confidence may allow for a Flood Watch to be issued several days in advance.
Flash Flood Warning
A Flash Flood Warning is issued to inform the public, emergency management and other cooperating agencies that flash flooding is in progress, imminent, or highly likely. Flash Flood Warnings are urgent messages as dangerous flooding can develop very rapidly with a serious threat to life and/or property. Flash Flood Warnings are usually issued minutes to hours in advance of the onset of flooding.
Flood Warning
A Flood Warning is issued to inform the public of flooding that poses a serious threat to life and/or property. A Flood Warning may be issued hours to days in advance of the onset of flooding based on foretasted conditions. Floods occurring along a river usually contain river stage (level) forecasts.
Flood Advisory
A Flood Advisory is issued when a flood event warrants notification but is less urgent than a warning. Advisories are issued for conditions that could cause a significant inconvenience, and if caution is not exercised could lead to situations that may threaten life and/or property.
Coastal/Lake shore Hazard Message
Coastal/Lake shore Hazard Message provide the public with detailed information on significant coastal/lake shore events. Coastal/Lake shore events impact land-based and near shore interests along much of the United States coastline. This product can be issued as a watch, warning or advisory and follows the same "Be Aware, Be Prepared, Take Action" definitions as with other National Weather Service (NWS) Watches, Warnings and Advisories (WWA). A Watch is issued when flooding with significant impacts is possible. Warnings are issued when flooding posing a serious threat to life and property is occurring, imminent or highly likely.
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statements provide the public with information concerning ongoing or imminent weather hazards, which require a heightened level of awareness or action, but do not rise to the level of watch, warning or advisory.
–Hydrologic Outlook
Two types:
1. Short-term (1 to 7 days) Hydrologic Outlooks can be issued to alert thepublic of the potential for flooding in the near-term such as when heavyrainfall is forecast that could result in flooding or aggravate an existingflood if it occurs.
2. Long-term (weeks to months) Hydrologic Outlooks may also provide river orreservoir level and/or flow information. This information could be used forwater supply concerns or projection of snowmelt flooding.
–Hazardous Weather Outlook
TheHazardous Weather Outlook is a single source of information regarding expectedhazardous weather through seven days. It can include information on severestorms, heavy rain, flooding, tropical storms, winter weather, high winds, fireweather and marine hazards.
After The Storm
- · Continue listening to your local radio station for news and the latest updates.
- · If you evacuated, return home only when officials say it is safe.
- · Once home, drive only if necessary and avoid flooded roads and washed-out bridges. If you must go out, watch for fallen objects in the road, downed electrical wires, and weakened walls, bridges, roads, and sidewalks that might collapse.
- · Walk carefully around the outside of your home to check for loose power lines, gas leaks, and structural damage.
- · Stay out of any building if you smell gas, if floodwaters remain around the building, if the building or home was damaged by fire, or if the authorities have not declared it safe.
- · Carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the leading causes of death after storms in areas dealing with power outages. Never use a portable generator inside your home or garage. Review generator safety.
- · Use battery-powered flashlights. Do NOT use candles. Turn on your flashlight before entering a vacated building. The battery could produce a spark that could ignite leaking gas, if present.
Information Source
