Guantanamo bay weathers Irma well, but wind might be harsh

The U.S. Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba got through Hurricane Irma “relatively unscathed,” with only a few downed trees and power lines, its commander said Saturday.

“So far no damage of any significance has been reported or discovered,” Navy Capt. Dave Culpepper told the roughly 5,500 residents in a midday broadcast on Radio Gitmo. He had earlier decided not to send base residents to hardened shelters after forecasts showed the storm going north of the base, and no destructive winds were expected.

Bay waters were still rough, with 6-foot-swells, requiring no ferry crossings although a smaller utility boat could carry passengers between the Leeward and Windward sides.

Culpepper noted that, while the hurricane had passed to the north, windy weather might complicate a flight expected Tuesday connecting the base with Jacksonville, Florida, and Norfolk, Virginia.

He added that his decision to not open shelters on the 45-square-mile base was vindicated—“hindsight tells us we made the right call”—particularly in savings of unnecessary “manpower, effort and the money spent.”

Meanwhile, a military official with knowledge of the situation said the war court compound where the alleged Sept. 11,2001, terrorist attacks plotters are to face trial, likewise suffered “no significant damage.” Some ceiling tiles in the courtroom got wet and would require replacement, and some of the press area that can accommodate 60 journalists also had some water leakage.