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Tinker offers shelter to Navy jets evacuated ahead of Hurricane Matthew

Silas Allen
by Silas Allen
Published: Fri, October 7, 2016 3:48 PM Updated: Fri, October 7, 2016 4:20 PM
With an E-3 Sentry from the 552nd Air Control Wing waiting to take off Oct. 6, a Navy P-8 Poseidon comes in for a landing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Eight P-8s and three P-3 Orion aircraft from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, sheltered from Hurricane Matthew here. (Air Force photo by April McDonald)
With an E-3 Sentry from the 552nd Air Control Wing waiting to take off Oct. 6, a Navy P-8 Poseidon comes in for a landing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Eight P-8s and three P-3 Orion aircraft from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, sheltered from Hurricane Matthew here. (Air Force photo by April McDonald)

Oklahoma's Tinker Air Force Base is acting as a safe haven for 11 U.S. Navy planes that were moved out of Florida ahead of Hurricane Matthew.

The 11 aircraft — eight P-8 Poseidons and three P-3 Orions — arrived at Tinker on Thursday after being evacuated from Naval Air Station Jacksonville as the hurricane approached Florida's Atlantic coast.

The Florida Times Union reported Wednesday that several Navy ships left Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville seeking safe waters as the hurricane approached. Several other military air bases, including Eglin Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle and Texas' Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, are also hosting planes that were evacuated from bases located in the storm's path.

The National Weather Service predicts the center of the storm will move near or over the northeast coast of Florida and Georgia on Friday evening before moving over or near the South Carolina coast on Saturday.

Related Photos
Four Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, line up with Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers on Tinker Air Force Base’s flightline Oct. 6. The P-8s, along with seven other Navy aircraft, sought shelter from Hurricane Matthew here. (Air Force photo by April McDonald)

Four Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, line up with Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers on Tinker Air Force Base’s flightline Oct. 6. The P-8s, along with seven other Navy aircraft, sought shelter from Hurricane Matthew here. (Air Force photo by April McDonald)

One of eight Navy P-8 Poseidons seeking shelter from the storm touches down at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Oct. 6. Eleven aircraft left Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, for Tinker ahead of Hurricane Matthew’s arrival on the East Coast. (Air Force photo by April McDonald)
A P-3 Orion from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, taxies after landing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Oct. 6. The aircraft was one of eleven from NAS Jacksonville that sought shelter from Hurricane Matthew here. (Air Force photo by April McDonald)
With an E-3 Sentry from the 552nd Air Control Wing waiting to take off Oct. 6, a Navy P-8 Poseidon comes in for a landing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Eight P-8s and three P-3 Orion aircraft from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, sheltered from Hurricane Matthew here. (Air Force photo by April McDonald)
<figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-f8318036e682c992dc75826e6659576e.jpg" alt="Photo - Four Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, line up with Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers on Tinker Air Force Base’s flightline Oct. 6. The P-8s, along with seven other Navy aircraft, sought shelter from Hurricane Matthew here. (Air Force photo by April McDonald) " title=" Four Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, line up with Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers on Tinker Air Force Base’s flightline Oct. 6. The P-8s, along with seven other Navy aircraft, sought shelter from Hurricane Matthew here. (Air Force photo by April McDonald) "><figcaption> Four Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, line up with Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers on Tinker Air Force Base’s flightline Oct. 6. The P-8s, along with seven other Navy aircraft, sought shelter from Hurricane Matthew here. (Air Force photo by April McDonald) </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-3952d7681009fce69c81feb06dfa8fd3.jpg" alt="Photo - One of eight Navy P-8 Poseidons seeking shelter from the storm touches down at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Oct. 6. Eleven aircraft left Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, for Tinker ahead of Hurricane Matthew’s arrival on the East Coast. (Air Force photo by April McDonald) " title=" One of eight Navy P-8 Poseidons seeking shelter from the storm touches down at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Oct. 6. Eleven aircraft left Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, for Tinker ahead of Hurricane Matthew’s arrival on the East Coast. (Air Force photo by April McDonald) "><figcaption> One of eight Navy P-8 Poseidons seeking shelter from the storm touches down at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Oct. 6. Eleven aircraft left Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, for Tinker ahead of Hurricane Matthew’s arrival on the East Coast. (Air Force photo by April McDonald) </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-93ba96fa77d2c1bf2da25edf5cd1168c.jpg" alt="Photo - A P-3 Orion from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, taxies after landing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Oct. 6. The aircraft was one of eleven from NAS Jacksonville that sought shelter from Hurricane Matthew here. (Air Force photo by April McDonald) " title=" A P-3 Orion from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, taxies after landing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Oct. 6. The aircraft was one of eleven from NAS Jacksonville that sought shelter from Hurricane Matthew here. (Air Force photo by April McDonald) "><figcaption> A P-3 Orion from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, taxies after landing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Oct. 6. The aircraft was one of eleven from NAS Jacksonville that sought shelter from Hurricane Matthew here. (Air Force photo by April McDonald) </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-8ea6d7485a4799256d3634bf76e21470.jpg" alt="Photo - With an E-3 Sentry from the 552nd Air Control Wing waiting to take off Oct. 6, a Navy P-8 Poseidon comes in for a landing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Eight P-8s and three P-3 Orion aircraft from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, sheltered from Hurricane Matthew here. (Air Force photo by April McDonald) " title=" With an E-3 Sentry from the 552nd Air Control Wing waiting to take off Oct. 6, a Navy P-8 Poseidon comes in for a landing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Eight P-8s and three P-3 Orion aircraft from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, sheltered from Hurricane Matthew here. (Air Force photo by April McDonald) "><figcaption> With an E-3 Sentry from the 552nd Air Control Wing waiting to take off Oct. 6, a Navy P-8 Poseidon comes in for a landing at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Eight P-8s and three P-3 Orion aircraft from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, sheltered from Hurricane Matthew here. (Air Force photo by April McDonald) </figcaption></figure>
Silas Allen

Silas Allen is a news reporter for The Oklahoman. He is a Missouri native and a 2008 graduate of the University of Missouri. Read more ›

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