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By JO2 Mike Jones

Feb. 11 started as a normal Friday on base. By midmorning, the sun crept out from behind the clouds and it looked as though the weekend might bring some melting snow with it.

However, at about 3:30 p.m. winds started to pick up, and by 4 p.m. the base was consumed in near white out conditions. The sudden storm sent NAS Keflavík into Travel Condition I for the first time in several years, actually leaving many residents stranded in their tracks.

"My initial impression was pretty much awe at how quickly a storm of that ferocity can pop up out of nowhere and hit us, literally, without warning," said Cmdr. Svend Pedersen, NAS executive officer.

At about 3 p.m. winds shifted from 13 knots to 35 knots gusting up to 46 knots in a matter of minutes.

Sudden blizzard conditions Feb. 11 left many drivers with little or no visibility resulting in several incidents of vehicles running off the road. (Photo by JO2 Mike Jones)

With winds up to 46 knots, sudden blizzard conditions Feb. 11 literally stopped base residents in their tracks, forcing many people to abandon their vehicles until the weather cleared.
(Photo by JO2 Christopher E. Tucker)

"It was pretty intense," said AG1 Jamie Brouillette, Naval Atlantic Meteorology and Oceanography Detachment duty forecaster. Approximately 5 1/2 inches of snow accumulated during the blizzard.

Because of Iceland’s geographic location, Brouillette said it was difficult to gauge the severity of the storm. "We don’t have the luxury of someone upstream to tell us what the storm’s like. We have radar capabilities, but we don’t have any way of visibly gauging the weather until it actually gets here. None of our charts indicated the storm was going to be that severe."

As it quickly became apparent the weather wasn’t going to improve, Travel Condition II was called at 3:50 p.m. in an effort to get everyone home as quickly and safely as possible. When the storm continued to worsen, Travel Condition I was set 30 minutes later, leaving many residents stranded wherever they happened to be.

"Condition II put us at official business only, yet it allowed people to get home. After the weather and our gut instinct confirmed that this was not going to be a short-term event, and the conditions were in fact worsening, we went to Condition I," Pedersen said. "Condition I means wherever you are, that’s where you stay. We do that because there’s no visibility, and if there’s someone walking or driving down the center of the road, we would not be able to complete any sort of emergency response. An accident could occur. Also, any attempts to clear the roads in that sort of condition would be futile and would be hampered by what Mother Nature was giving us."

Approximately 27 children and 39 adults were stranded at A.T. Mahan Elementary School, and seven students and six adults waited out the storm at A.T. Mahan High School. "It was interesting. This was something I haven’t experienced before," said Denise Fugua, high school secretary.

"We were surprised at how long-lasting the blizzard was when it hit," said Ronda Bradshaw, A.T. Mahan Elementary School registrar. "This is something I won’t forget. Everyone pulled together well."

The size of the storm which hit NAS Keflavík is apparent by this satellite image taken at 3:38 p.m. Feb. 11. (Photo courtesy of Naval Atlantic Meteorology and Oceanography Detachment)

The size and ferocity of the blizzard caught many base residents by surprise.
(photo by JO2 Christopher E. Tucker)

People in both schools received meals from the cafeteria and played games to help pass the time.

The Youth Center accommodated 83 individuals and the Child Development Center provided shelter for 63 people during the storm. "Our staff responded wonderfully," said Linda Smith, program administrator for youth and childcare services. "Some of our staff was on duty for nearly 24 hours. It got tough, but they pulled together well. I’m so proud of them."

About 16 people waited out the storm at the USO. "We made a fun evening of it. We provided free dinners to those trapped at the USO during Travel Condition I," USO Director Tom Jones said. "Sure, going into Condition I was inconvenient, but we all understand why — safety is paramount."

When Travel Condition I was lifted early Saturday morning, members of the Arctic Quest Four Wheel Drive Club arrived to help safely transport stranded residents back to their homes.

When the weather started to clear, members of Public Works quickly set about clearing the roads. "We had nine pieces of equipment out there Friday night to help clear the roads," said CM1(SCW) Edward Neeley, PWD Transportation Division leading petty officer. "While we were out surveying which roads to clear, we also transported people." Neeley said 10 members of PWD worked in 12-hour shifts to make certain the roads were cleared and safe.

Those unfortunate enough to be on the roads when the blizzard worsened were forced to abandon their vehicles until the weather cleared. Members of Navy Security also took advantage of their four-wheel-drive vehicles by patrolling the base assisting stranded residents. "Once we were out of Condition I, we operated on double shifts to shuttle people from their workplaces to home," said MA1(SS) Anthony Hall, Navy Security chief of police. Members of Marine Corps Security Force Company were also on hand to assist busing efforts.

Once the weather settled, some unlucky residents faced the task of digging out their vehicles our of snowdrifts that had accumulated overnight. "By Saturday afternoon, approximately 21 cars had been pulled free from the snow," Hall said.

"I was pretty impressed. We had commands concerned for the right thing: the people, everyone was looking at where their people were and whether they were safe," Pedersen said. "The Youth Center, the CDC and the schools had the children fed, safe and warm. No one panicked. We had folks in workspaces throughout the base tracking down where their shipmates were. Public Works did a great job clearing the roads. The Fire Department had some vehicles that allowed them to go out during the storm and the Emergency Rescue Services volunteers pulled cars out that night, getting people home safely. Those were shining moments — commands taking care of their people."