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Organizations and businesses statewide were involved in Hurricane Irma preparations and response — including two area airports that have recently received some notoriety for the work.
Punta Gorda Airport in Charlotte County designated its baggage claim area as a shelter for residents with special needs. Airport staff remained at the facility during the hurricane to manage operations, according to a press release.
After Irma, the airport was a staging area for Florida Power & Light Co. The day after the storm, the airport says 2,000 service trucks arrived on site. A day later, 2,000 more trucks arrived on the scene. The airport served as a central point for refueling, sleeping and eating as crews worked to get homes and businesses back on line.
The Florida Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, working on a mission directed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also used the airport as a base. It took more than 36,000 photographs to document conditions in storm-ravaged areas.
The Naples Airport Authority was back in action a day after Hurricane Irma passed through the city. Team members removed debris and cleared runways and were able to reopen to military and emergency relief aircraft. A statement says normal operations resumed a week after the storm hit. Like Punta Gorda Airport, the Naples Airport was also an FPL staging area for post-Irma efforts to get power up and running again.
Punta Gorda Airport CEO James Parish attributes the airport's quick recovery and response to preparations after the busy hurricane season of 2004.
“The airport soared through Hurricane Irma with minimal interruption,” Parish says in a statement. “In the years after Hurricane Charley, we rebuilt or reinforced nearly all of our facilities to withstand hurricane-force winds, and that has continued to pay off through each hurricane that threatens the airport.”
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