After destruction, Florida Air Force base rebuilds to face effects of climate change
In 2018, Hurricane Michael flattened Tyndall Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle. It was one of only four Category 5 hurricanes to ever hit the U.S.
PANAMA CITY, Fla. — In 2018, Hurricane Michael flattened Tyndall Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle. It was one of only four Category 5 hurricanes to ever hit the U.S.
Now, almost four years to the day, the sound of construction adds to the disorienting and sometimes overwhelming sound of fighter jets taking off to run morning drills. Tyndall, a military installation of almost 30,000 acres that once housed almost 3,000 people, is being rebuilt as a first-of-its-kind base meant to withstand stronger storms and the worsening effects of climate change.
Even in the office of Col. George Watkins, the commander of the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall, a large thud is heard about every five seconds from the construction of a nearby hotel. His office is scattered with blueprints and models of what is being coined “the installation of the future.”
The rebuild is the largest military construction project ever awarded by the Defense Department. The base is expected to be fully finished near 2026 and is estimated to cost around $5 billion.
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