Breezy

From the U.S. Coast Guard:

Dec. 1, 2009

Hurricane winds hit remote Coast Guard station in Aleutians

ANCHORAGE — The crew of Coast Guard’s long-range navigation (LORAN) station in Attu is digging out after a weekend storm pounded the island with wind gusts of 178 mph and more than a one and a half feet of snow.

The storm, which brought sustained winds of 125 mph or Category 3 hurricane winds and gusts that equal some of the strongest winds of a Category 5 hurricane, slammed into the island causing damage to the LORAN station with a communications antenna breaking from three of its securing mounts. The crew of the station has been busy making repairs and has spent more than 100 hours on snow removal.

The winter storm arrived Saturday afternoon with the winds gradually growing to such a state that all personnel were restricted to the main building.

"This high of a wind is fairly abnormal for us," said Chief Petty Officer Brad Schlenpitz, the executive petty officer of the station and a Jacksonville, Fla., native. "I arrived here last January, and this is the first time I have experienced anything like this."

The LORAN station stayed operational throughout the storm.

LORAN Station Attu is located at the westernmost edge of the Alaska Aleutian Islands, with 20 active-duty personnel stationed there as a one-year assignment.