When a hurricane threatens the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Ingalls shipbuilders are ready to step in to keep the shipyard and ships under construction safe.
If an approaching storm forces Operations to shut down, an elite group of storm riders remain behind the gates, ready to spring into action.
While Infrastructure and Sustainability’s Maintenance department make up the majority of the storm riders, the team also consists of shipbuilders from various crafts, Trial & Test, Quality, firefighters, Security, Safety and more.
Justin McArthur, acting director, Facilities & Maintenance, has been through every storm at Ingalls since 2008.
“Before hurricane season, we start by taking volunteers from the Maintenance organization,” McArthur explained. “Then, as a storm approaches, we look at where exactly it’s predicted to go and what threat level it is. Based on that, we narrow the list down to the team we need based on skill set.”
Once production has halted, storm riders pack an overnight bag and report back to the shipyard. From there, the work begins. It’s a race against time as they work together to secure the ships, equipment and facilities. From fueling up generators to cutting the power to climbing cranes and countless other duties, the team must focus on multiple tasks while keeping safety at the forefront.
“They're here from the time the gate closes until after the storm passes and damage assessments are done. It could be 24-, 36-, 48-, or 72 hours,” said McArthur.
As teams work to secure the yard, the leadership team stays updated by utilizing Ingalls’ heavy weather facility command center, which has emergency radios and phones, as well as monitors displaying weather updates from the National Weather Service.
With the storm approaching landfall, storm riders bunker down in designated areas to wait for it to pass. Once the storm is over, damage assessment and cleanup begins, with everyone working together to get the shipyard operational as soon as possible so shipbuilders can return to work.
Maintenance specialist Terry Webb has been a storm rider for more than 20 years.
“I take care of my family and my home first so I can be out here to help,” he said.
For Webb, it’s all about teamwork and keeping each other safe and accountable.
“It's a conglomerate of people that work together as a team to get everything done. From the very top on down, it’s all hands-on deck,” said Webb.
With each new storm, lessons are learned, best practices are adjusted and procedures are updated. Through it all, Ingalls storm riders remain steadfast in their dedication to supporting the shipyard during a storm.
“For shipbuilders to take the time to dedicate to the shipyard and help protect the facility, it makes for long hours, long days and a lot of work,” said McArthur. “As an organization, that’s not something we take lightly. We are grateful for each and every storm rider we have and thankful to have a significant list of volunteers willing to help.”