The U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba evacuated non-essential personnel over the weekend in preparation for Hurricane Matthew, but the Pentagon plans to keep the detainees where they are.
More than 700 family members and 65 pets were airlifted from the naval station to Pensacola, Fla. in four C-17 and two C-130 cargo aircraft, said Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook during a press briefing Tuesday. All personnel remaining, including the facility’s 61 detainees, have been directed to shelter-in-place.
“The detention facilities at Guantanamo can withstand the current projected storm strength, and the 61 detainees there will shelter in place,” said Cook. “If the storm should intensify, there is a plan in place to move the detainees to alternative shelters on-base.”
Cook did not elaborate on what exactly the contingency plan would entail.
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) is preparing a joint task force in order to offer support to those caught in the storm’s path, if needed. To that end, the Navy is putting several ships on stand-by. Thus far, no requests for assistance have been received, according to Cook.
Matthew’s sustained winds have been measured as high as 145 miles per hour, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The hurricane hit land on the eastern end of Cuba at approximately 8 p.m. Tuesday night, measuring at category 4. Meteorologists predict Matthew will follow along the eastern coastlines of Florida and South Carolina before tapering into the Atlantic. Both states have made preparations to evacuate more than 1 million people.
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