NORFOLK, Va. — The meteorologists here at 13News Now work hard to provide you with the latest storm coverage. But the U.S. Navy has somewhat different concerns and priorities when it comes to forecasting the weather. That's why the Navy's dedicated weather center conducts their own research and makes their own predictions.
The Navy's weather professionals played a big role in tracking Ian. At Fleet Weather Center-Norfolk, a team of 125 to 150 sailors and civilian personnel worked 24-7, and tracked the storm for days. Their job is to update fleet and installation commanders, in order to protect people and assets, such as buildings, ships, and aircraft.
"Over the past week we've been working very closely with Commander Naval Installation Command in the Southeast along the Gulf Coast as well as Commander Naval Installations Command Mid-Atlantic,"" said Captain Erin Acosta, Commanding Officer of Fleet Weather Center-Norfolk. "We helped inform the commander to make decisions as well as to sortie or not the fleet," she said.
Captain Acosta says compared to other regions in Ian's path, Hampton Roads has been "very fortunate."