Coronavirus hits hurricane hunter base in Lakeland

Five members of NOAA staff test positive

Five employees of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s hurricane hunter reconnaissance base in Lakeland tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday.

The five are employed at the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center, which resides in the Lakeland Linder International Airport and is responsible for sending planes into the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and Atlantic for hurricane reconnaissance missions.

The AOC is one of two bases responsible for surveying weather phenomenon in those bodies of water.

After one employee showed symptoms, 68 employees were tested in all.

The five positive results were for people last in the facility between June 3-8, said spokesman Jonathan Shannon.

The AOC has been adhering to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s coronavirus guidelines on social distancing and working remotely when possible.

“Hurricane hunter aircraft are flying with the minimum number of crew members necessary to conduct missions and we have increased the cleaning of aircraft preand post-flight,” Shannon said.

“Our medical officer is closely monitoring the health and wellness of flight crews and support personnel in accordance with CDC guidelines.”

The temporary loss of employees should not affect future hurricane recon missions, Shannon said.

“We remain ready to perform our essential functions of hurricane reconnaissance and emergency response,” he said.

Last Tuesday, AOC leaders closed the work areas associated with the five employees, which were then thoroughly cleaned.

AOC also reached out to an undisclosed number of employees who were in closest contact with the five, and asked them to self quarantine for 14 days.

Hurricane season began on June 1 and already 2020 has seen three named storms take shape, with the most recent Tropical Storm Cristobal, which brought storm surges and flooding along the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Florida.

Tropical Storms Arthur and Bertha formed early in May.

The rest of the 2020 storm names are Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, Hanna, Isaias, Josephine, Kyle, Laura, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paulette, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Victy and Wilfred.

You can find more hurricane coverage at Orlan doSentinel.com/hurricane.