Air Force: Tyndall sustains ‘catastrophic damage’ from Hurricane Michael

UPDATE @ 1:25 P.M.:

Wright-Patterson officials said the F-22 aircraft are still located on base. There is no set timeline for their departure.

INITIAL REPORT:

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has taken in aircraft from Tyndall Air Force Base, which was ravaged by Hurricane Michael this week.

The New York Times reported the base, located near Panama City, Florida, has been devastated from the hurricane. Heavy winds and storms ripped through base, shredding hangars and toppling an F-15 fighter jet on display at the base entrance. Base commanders are now sifting through damage, and evacuation orders have not yet been lifted.

The Air Force said Tyndall sustained “widespread catastrophic damage.”

Hurricane Michael made landfall Wednesday on the Florida Panhandle with winds of 155 miles per hour.

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Approximately 3,600 airmen are stationed at Tyndall, which spans 29,000 acres with homes for active and retired military.

Wright-Patterson took in aircraft from Tyndall Air Force Base and Elgin Air Force Base in Florida before the storm hit. The base received six F-35 aircraft, six F-15 and 10 F-16 from Elgin and was expecting around 30 F-22 from Tyndall, a Wright-Patt spokeswoman said.

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“We will have these air craft here for several days, until the storm gets out of the area down there near the southern bases,” said Dave Egner, director of special operations for the 88th Air Base Wing’s support squadron, earlier this week.

This news organization has reached out to Wright-Patterson officials for comment on how long the aircraft from Tyndall will be on base.

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