Hurricanes Irma, Jose and Maria Relief Operations

Hurricane Irma, declared as a Category 5 hurricane, developed in the Caribbean and swept through many of the island chains on its way towards the US East Coast (which was reached on 10 Sep). Almost before Irma had cleared, Hurricane Jose was following c 3 days behind.

Belgian, Canadian, Dutch, French, UK and US forces mobilised in the aftermath of Irma to assist in relief efforts, while the Cayman Islands almost immediately sent a Police helicopter to the Turks and Caicos Islands in support.

Intensive activity on the Sun, producing Solar Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections in early-mid Sep complicated the co-ordination and operation of all these efforts by disrupting radio communications.

The French supplemented their locally based Dauphin with a Puma from 3 RHC airlifted by A400M to Martinique. Troops, lorries and stores from 33^e RIMa were flown in to Saint Martin on 11 Sep. On 13 Sep an RAF 99 Squadron C-17 was sent to Évreux-Fauville to provide heavy lift for further French aid to Guadeloupe.

By 19 Sep, Canadian forces were assisting UK troops in restoring water supplies on the Turks and Caicos Islands. CC-130s had delivered building materials to Anguilla by 23 Sep.

The UK contribution was provided under Operation Ruman.

• RFA Mounts Bay had been in the Caribbean since Jun 2017 on Atlantic Patrol Task (North) conducting preparedness reviews for the Hurricane season with Island Administrations. She had 815 NAS 216 Flt Wildcat embarked. Her contingent of Royal Marines made a major contribution in reopening the airport and getting the radio station back on air in the British Virgin Islands.
• Aid packages and supplies have been coordinated at Kemble and despatched via RAF Brize Norton units, together with a Puma by airlift, for increased load lifting and transport flights bringing Royal Marines as an experienced relief workforce and Police for security enhancement. Local deployments of the Royal Marines were assisted by USMC V-22 lifts. A 3rd Puma was despatched from RAF Brize Norton on 14 Sep and 2 Chinooks from 27 Sq were airlifted in.
• By 17 Sep Royal Engineers and Commando Engineer teams had restored the Reverse Osmosis water desalination plant to full operation on Tortola, BVI.
• HMS Ocean was re-tasked at short notice from a NATO Mediterranean deployment and called at Gibraltar to re-store with supplies flown in from the UK by 4 Chinooks. After a non-stop transatlantic passage, she arrived on scene with 9 helicopters on 22 Sep, including 2 Chinooks from 18 Sq B Flt, 3 Junglie Merlins from 845 NAS and an 847 NAS Wildcat AH.1, in addition to her usual Royal Marines complement of 9 Assault Squadron. On 25 Sep, she moved from off Anguilla, to the Commonwealth of Dominica.
• UK civilian organisations (not part of Operation Ruman), such as Thomson-Tui, Thomas Cook and Virgin Airlines have also assisted in delivering aid consignments.
• UK individuals have responded to a British Red Cross aid appeal and their donations have been matched by the British Government.

Meanwhile, the US Coast Guard had imposed Port Condition Zulu (port closed to all traffic) at Key West from 8 to 16 Sep.

On 29/30 Sep, an Antonov Airlines AN-124 UR-82008 flew from Eindhoven to Sint Maarten with a hold-full of international aid.

While the clear up was still underway, a 3rd tropical storm escalated into the Category 5 Hurricane Maria, threatening Antigua, Barbuda and Dominica, striking the latter on Mon 17 Sep and following roughly the same track as Irma, the week before.

After ravaging the Commonwealth of Dominica, Hurricane Maria moved on to Puerto Rico, leaving the majority of the population without electricity on 19/20 Sep. Late on 20 Sep, RFA Mounts Bay Wildcat rescued 3 souls from the capsized rv Ferrel, off Vieques, with the assistance of USCG units and the USS Kearsarge. The Kearsarge also contributed 6 airframes from HSC-22, to the US Virgin Islands. On 21 Sep, a UK aid team was landed by Chinook on Dominica and a second team arrived on Montserrat to assess damage. The RAF flew in the first Light Wheeled Tractor on an A400M on 24 Sep, after a huge effort by the JADTEU clearing the type for airlift. On 25 Sep both Chinooks embarked on HMS Ocean were at work on the Turks and Caicos Islands.

With the damage so great and widespread across the island chains, the British, Dutch and French governments agreed to establish the Multi National Caribbean Coordination Cell at the Dutch Naval Base on Curaçao, to plan the allocation of military resources, on 21 Sep.