Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio (February 28, 2024) – An early-morning suspected tornado caused damage to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) today.
The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force’s Restoration Hangar 4, Gate 22B (I-675 Gate), and several other buildings on Area B of the base sustained damage.
“Our initial assessment from this morning’s storm is the damage is isolated to the southern side of Area B. Our initial focus right now is on safety and damage assessment. I can’t speak highly enough about our security forces, Fire Department and civil engineer Airmen for their quick response and hard work to assess damage and determine a path forward for restoring operations as quickly as possible.”
— Col. Travis Pond, 88th Air Base Wing and installation commander
Assessing the Situation:
- The 88th Civil Engineer Group, first responders, and base safety personnel are currently assessing the extent of the damage throughout the base.
- Initial reports indicate the damage is isolated to the southern side of Area B.
Focus on Safety and Recovery:
- Col. Travis Pond, 88th Air Base Wing and installation commander, praised the immediate response of security forces, firefighters, and civil engineer airmen.
- Their focus remains on ensuring safety and assessing the damage.
- The team will then determine the necessary steps to restore operations as quickly as possible.
Further details will be provided as they become available.
