Planes Moved Out of Fay’s Way — Air Force’s 403rd Wing Evacuated From Coast

BILOXI – The Air Force Reserve’s 403rd Wing on Saturday evacuated aircraft from Keesler Air Force Base on the Mississippi Gulf Coast to locations in South Florida and Texas.

The move was taken as a precaution to avoid heavy winds from Tropical Storm Fay. The storm is expected to work its way westward along the Gulf Coast over the next 24 to 48 hours.

The 403rd Wing includes “hurricane hunting” aircraft.

Also, as hurricane season heats up, the Port of Gulfport has adopted a new hurricane policy.

Port director Don Allee said all tenants will be required to evacuate equipment, including shipping containers, 72 hours ahead of a predicted hurricane landing.

The news is welcome relief to residents of Gulfport’s West Side neighborhood, some of whose homes were crushed by shipping containers during Hurricane Katrina.

Allee said it’s the port’s mission to evacuate all equipment that could be harmful to the nearby community.

Councilwoman Libby Milner-Roland, who represents West Side, said the port’s new evacuation policy gives homeowners one less thing to worry about the next time a storm comes their way.

Originally published by Associated Press .

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