The USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee is leaving Naval Base San Diego, as authorities say its for the safety of sailors on board and for the vessel itself.
More than 10,000 U.S. Navy sailors and 10 ships are headed out to sea on Saturday, moving away from danger as Hurricane Hilary moves toward the shores of Naval Base San Diego.
Officers say they cant remember the last time theyve had to do this.
“This is a historic event for San Diego; we haven’t seen this in some time,” said Commanding Officer Rober Heely.
Sailors work on these ships 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so commanding officers say its best to avoid the high winds and heavy rainfall.
“Once they get out to their areas, theyll be focusing on training and supporting Navy objectives,” said U.S. Naval Officer Jason Peck.
SEE MORE: Hurricane Hilary threatens catastrophic flooding in California, Mexico
But some ships are under maintenance and cannot safely deploy.
“Theres other ships that will remain here because it doesnt make sense in terms of a cost-benefit analysis to get them underway,” said Peck.
The sailors who stay back will be under specific instructions. Theyll increase the lines, deploy anchors, and remove any hazardous items that could fly off the decks.
“Any areas on board the ship exposed to the weather, well bring that gear in to make sure its protected and doesnt fly or hit another ship,” said Heely.
A tropical storm warning has been issued for the region. Its been 84 years since a tropical storm made landfall in California.
Officers say they looked to the opposite coast for preparation and extensively leveraged a lot of their planning efforts, instructions, and processes for dealing with hurricane season on the east coast.
The commanding officer says these crews will only return when it is deemed safe. The exact date is undetermined.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
Michael Jackson sexual abuse lawsuits revived by appeals court Hilary downgraded to Category 2 as California braces for impact Bills targeting transgender community stoke fear