The Air Force said it will no longer move forward with planned hurricane recovery projects at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., because the service has run out of needed repair funding, Military Times reported.
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said Tuesday the service has been forced to postpone its rebuilding efforts to repair the $4.7 billion in damage caused by Hurricane Michael in October.
“Homeowners and businesses purchase insurance to protect themselves from these kinds of disasters, but that’s not an option for the military,” Wilson said in a statement. “When unavoidable catastrophes strike our facilities, supplemental funding is our only recourse. If they don’t step in, our communities, our readiness, and our security all pay the price.”
Officials said in March they anticipated a stoppage in relief work if Congress didn’t grant them the additional funding.
Tyndall and Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., which was hit by severe flooding in March that caused more than $400 million in damage, are considered critical infrastructure bases, according to senior defense officials.
Similar disaster repair projects will stop in June at Offutt, where dozens of buildings sustained extensive flooding damage.
Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sean Carnes
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