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MCLB Albany confirms marine evacuees coming to town
Posted: 08.27.2012 at 12:07 PM
Updated: 08.28.2012 at 10:25 AM
FOX 31 News Team

The FOX 31 News Team covers Southwest Georgia 24/7

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Shower tents set up for Pensacola, FL  evacuees.  / Jessica Fairley
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ALBANY, GA --
The Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany is actively preparing to accept Tropical Storm Isaac marine evacuees from Marine Aviation Training Support Group 21 at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida.

Officials with MCLB say that around 9:00 p.m. Monday, buses carrying marines and sailors are expected to arrive here to escape the threat of Tropical Storm Isaac’s arrival.

They expect the buses to be carrying approximately 4,800 personnel to be evacuated here.

Due to the threat of Tropical Storm Isaac’s impending landfall between the panhandle of Florida and the Louisiana Gulf Coast, the decision was made Sunday evening for the Pensacola personnel to evacuate say officials.

MCLB Albany say they have activated their base Emergency Operations Center, and will closely monitor the evacuees’ transit, arrival and coordinate their stay.  The 4,800 displaced personnel will remain at MCLB Albany until the destructive weather passes and it is safe for them to return to their homes.

Shower tents are being set up outside of a warehouse where the evacuees will be staying. Each tent comes with several showers, sinks and a light source.

As the marines arrive in Albany, they will be given cots to sleep on. Ready-to-go meals will also be provided for nutrition. Each meal includes dinners and snacks.

Officials with the Marine Corps Logistics Base say their main concern is making sure the evacuees are safe.

"We're trying to make this as comfortable as a stay as possible and give these students, trainees, and staff around 20 square feet per person," says Lt. Kyle Thomas, with the Marine Corps Logistics Base, "Of course that's probably not going to be the most comfortable living conditions if they were staying somewhere for a very long time, however, they will be staying her for maybe three or four days."

Lieutenant Thomas says the Marine Corps Logistics Base has memorandums of understanding with other bases that are in the path of hurricanes. They have agreements set up so that if those bases are in the line of dangerous or severe weather, they will have a safe place to go at the MCLB.

"Even though Tropical Storm Isaac just appeared, we've been planning for this sort of thing for months," says Lt. Kyle Thomas.   

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