NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The U.S. Navy is preparing to send two ships from Virginia to assist with Hurricane Irma relief.
Local media report Navy sailors and marines were preparing to board the USS Iwo Jima and USS New York at Naval Station Norfolk on Thursday. The Florida-based ships were also being loaded with food, water, medical supplies and heavy equipment.
Navy officials told The Daily Press the ships were on standby and it wasn’t clear when they would depart or where they would go. Tasks could range from cleanup to medical assistance and engineering.
The hurricane rolled past the Dominican Republic and Haiti and battered the Turks and Caicos Islands early Friday. Irma’s core should hit Florida early Sunday morning, but its tropical force storm winds can arrive as early as Saturday morning.
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