NAS Meridian shelters military evacuees

By By Fredie Carmichael / staff writer
September 22, 2004
Naval Air Station Meridian's commanding officer praised his staff Tuesday for safely aiding more than 1,000 servicemen and their families who sought shelter from Hurricane Ivan.
Capt. Jeff Dickman said NAS staff members did a "superb job in accommodating" evacuees which included members of all military branches from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.
NAS Meridian even provided shelter to 100 of the evacuees' pets.
Evacuees arrived in Meridian as early as Sept. 13 to take shelter from Ivan, which was threatening to strike somewhere along the Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle to Southeast Louisiana.
The hurricane later made landfall at Gulf Shores, Ala., early Thursday and moved northeast through Alabama spreading strong winds and heavy rains across East Central Mississippi.
While evacuees were safe in Meridian, some were worried about their property and homes.
Susan Junkins, an NAS Meridian spokesman, said base staff members went out of their way to make the storm evacuees feel at home and forget the hurricane.
Junkins said hurricane evacuees were allowed to use the base's restaurants, an around-the-clock movie theater and a bowling alley that includes a pool table and video games.
Ivan evacuees numbered among the largest groups NAS Meridian has ever hosted, Junkins said. When other storms threatened the United States in the 1990s, she said, the base hosted even more evacuees.
Junkins said the base was able to host the large number of evacuees by finding available space in barracks and other on-base housing.
Dickman said he was pleased that the Meridian base and staff could help.