By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent
Tyndall Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located 12 miles east of Panama City, Florida. The base was named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lt. Frank Benjamin Tyndall. The base operating unit and host wing is the 325th Fighter Wing of the Air Combat Command.
The Air Force base found itself in the direct path of Hurricane Michael, and the results were tough. A lot of roofs were ripped off, leaving homes exposed to the elements – with no protection from the rain and winds.
But I noticed something interesting as I watched this video of Tyndall Air Force Base. It’s a damage assessment video to document the damage to base housing to move the recovery process forward. It was shot by Master Sgt. Alexander Farver. Watch the video (it’s only 2:34) and see if you noticed what I noticed. I’ll wait.
Right? As the camera pans across the homes damaged by Michael, what I noticed was exposed wood. Shingles had been ripped from their moorings and tossed aside like so much crumpled computer paper. Debris surrounded the houses, and my heart felt for those families affected by the storm.
Except….
Except those roofs with solar on them appeared to be largely in tact.
We often talk about how much solar can be a boon for areas that are hit with natural disasters, but it’s almost always in conjunction with keeping the power on in the aftermath of the disaster. But what often gets forgotten, however, is the role solar can play in protecting the roof. After all, solar panels and racking are tested in high winds and under adverse conditions.
What this video shows is that properly installed solar can help mitigate some of the damage done by natural disasters – and that is absolutely fascinating.
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Tyndall Air Force Base View of Housing Following Hurricane Michael