PANAMA CITY, Fla. – The U.S. Air Force base in the Florida Panhandle that sustained major damage during Hurricane Michael last month will be able to resume some operations within the next several months, according to U.S. Air Force officials.
Tyndall Air Force Base is 12 miles east of Panama City, and all but its essential personnel were evacuated for the major hurricane that slammed into the Florida Panhandle.
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Base housing remains inhabitable three weeks after the storm. Military.com reports that at least 1,500 airmen were working to clear debris at the base.
On Friday, Secretary of the Air Force Heather A. Wilson said all but about 500 airmen will return to the Florida Panhandle and resume operations.
Several units will resume operations at nearby Eglin Air Force Base, while others will relocate to bases around the U.S.
Nine of 14 missions are expected to resume operations at Tyndall by January, according to Wilson.
“By the winter holidays and in many cases well before, we expect all our airmen — military and civilians— to have certainty about their options, so that everyone is either on a path or already settled,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein said.