Flyover Shows Less Damage Than Expected

A US Coast Guard aerial assessment of Wake Island September 2 showed less destruction than expected from Super Typhoon Ioke... but the Air Force needs people on the ground at Wake to determine the full extent of damage, officials said.

The Coast Guard flew the mission to check for pollution releases. It was flown in a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point in Kapolei, Hawaii.

Footage and pictures taken on the mission, which were reviewed by Coast Guard and Air Force officials, don't show any oil spills or hazardous-material releases, the Coast Guard said.

A US Navy ship left Naval Base Guam September 4 for a four-day, 1,500-mile trip to the island. The ship carries members of the Air Force's 36th Contingency Response Group at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.

The US Coast Guard Cutter Sherman from Alameda, CA is expected to arrive September 7 with members of the Coast Guard Pacific Strike Team. As part of its mission the team responds to potential oil and hazardous-material spills. The team will conduct a detailed survey of the island and check the integrity of island structures, the Coast Guard said.

As reported in Aero-News, Wake Island was evacuated ahead of Ioke, which hit the atoll August 31 with 150 mph winds. All 188 island residents were evacuated on two C-17 Globemaster IIIs from the 15th Airlift Wing at Hickam AFB.

FMI: www.af.mil