US Navy helicopters were damaged when a line of severe thunderstorms swept through southern Virginia on Tuesday at Naval Station Norfolk.
USNI News reported ten helicopters experienced damage, including five MH-60S Knight Hawks, one MH-60R Sea Hawk, and four MH-53E Sea Dragons.
A Navy initial assessment of the incident showed each helicopter was marked as a “Class A ground mishap,” meaning the aircraft experienced over $2.5 million in damage.
“The Navy is continuing to assess the full extent of the damages to each airframe, but there are no impacts to operational forces as a result of this incident.
“Known damages to the aircraft span from broken tail and rotor blades to structural dents and punctures in the airframes. No personnel were injured during the storm,” Cmdr. Rob Myers with Naval Air Forces Atlantic said in a statement.
Images posted on social media show what appears to be a warzone.
Five MH-60S Knight Hawks, one MH-60R Sea Hawk, and four MH-53E Sea Dragon mine countermeasures helicopters were blown over by strong gusts of wind as a thunderstorm passed through the area. Naval Station Norfolk, VA. July 27, 2022 pic.twitter.com/MjGpPvXzjO
— julio / Caronte (@jmscaronte) July 28, 2022
Here are some of the #US Navy helicopters damaged during the storm at NAS #Norfolk yesterday. I have identified the following:
MH-53E: 163057/AN-436
MH-60R: 168155/AB-703
MH-60S: 166308/BR-46
MH-60S: 167880/AJ-615 pic.twitter.com/aKqaAEN4GH— Babak Taghvaee – The Crisis Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) July 28, 2022
Some of the storm damage yesterday at Norfolk NAS pic.twitter.com/pvcSXbcm0B
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) July 27, 2022
No personal were injured but several helicopters were damaged in a severe tstorm this afternoon at NAS Norfolk. Looks like a few H60s.
Some of you may have seen the fire dept lights from the HRBT too. pic.twitter.com/abSlO4B4ss
— Ricky Matthews (@WAVY_RickyM) July 26, 2022
NWS received minimal reports of damage in the area, which may suggest a microburst hit the naval base.
