Hurricane Florence has the Carolinas in her sights, and the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs have already made contingency plans as the hurricane approached the U.S. coast. While the Department of Defense is already mobilizing resources and personnel to assist in the disaster area, the Department of Veterans Affairs has already evacuated several medical centers and put a plan in place to assist veterans in the area affected.

For Veterans

For those living in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia, your local care from VA facilities may be affected. According to the VA, about 1.5 million veterans will be impacted by Hurricane Florence, about half of whom are enrolled in VA health care. Here’s the latest from the Department of Veterans Affairs:

18 community based outpatient clinics and five Vet Centers in the path of the storm have been closed or will be closed.

South Carolina

• Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center (Charleston)
  • Charleston VAMC Outpatient Clinics will remain closed through weekend.
  • Charleston VA Medical Center is sheltering in place.
  • Inpatient care units and Emergency Department are open and operational.

Virginia

• Hampton VA Medical Center
  • All scheduled appointments are cancelled September. 13-17
  • The Hampton VAMC Emergency Department will reopen at 9 a.m. on Sunday, September 16.
  • All outpatient clinics in Chesapeake, Virginia Beach and Albemarle will close September 12 and will reopen Monday, September 17.
• Salem VA Medical Center
  • Fully operational
• Richmond VA Medical Center
  • Richmond’s Emporia CBOC is scheduled to be closed until Friday.

North Carolina

• Durham VA Health Care System
  • Durham VAMC Inpatient units, Emergency Department, and ancillary services will maintain full operations.
  • Medical Center ambulatory and specialty clinics will remain fully operational until Noon, Thursday, September 13. Inpatient units will maintain full operations.
  • Greenville HCC will remain fully operational until Noon, Thursday, September 13.
  • Morehead CBOC is closed.
  • CBOCs in the Raleigh-Durham area will remain fully operational until Noon, Thursday, September 13.
• Salisbury VA Medical Center
  • Fully operational
• Fayetteville VA Medical Center
  • Fayetteville VAMC inpatient operations and Urgent Care Center at the main campus on 2300 Ramsey St location are open.
  • Fayetteville VAMC coastal clinics: Wilmington HCC, Brunswick County CBOC & Jacksonville CBOC are closed through Friday, Sept. 14.
  • Fayetteville VA Medical Center’s coastal clinics – Wilmington Heath Care Center, and Brunswick County and Jacksonville Community-based Outpatient Clinics are closed through Friday, Sept. 14.
  • Fayetteville VA’s inland outpatient clinics except Fayetteville Health Care Center — Hamlet, Goldsboro and Robeson County, and Sanford Community-based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) close at noon, Thursday, Sept. 13 and remain closed Friday, Sept. 14.
  • Fayetteville Health Care Center (FHCC) and
  • Fayetteville Rehabilitation Clinic (FRC) will be closed, Friday, Sept. 14.
• Asheville VA Medical Center
  • Rutherford County issued a State of Emergency, the VA CBOC in Rutherford is operational on Sept. 13, 2018.
  • All other sites are operational.

If you need assistance or have any questions, use the hotlines below to be connected with resources:

• Veteran Hurricane Hotline Number: 1-800-507-4571
• Employee Disaster Hotline Number: 1-866-233-0152
• VBA Hotline Number: 1-800-827-1000
• Pharmacy Customer Care 1- 866-400-1243

Check back here for updates on VA facilities and impacts to care.

Military Personnel and Families

Hurricane Florence is on track to hit areas where many military families call home. Our friends at the National Military Family Association put together a list of resources for military families impacted by Hurricane Florence.

• Military OneSource
  • http://www.militaryonesource.mil/
  • Disaster Preparedness and Recovery:
    http://www.militaryonesource.mil/on-and-off-base-living/disaster-preparedness-recovery
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
  • https://www.fema.gov/
  • Ready.gov: https://www.ready.gov/
• American Red Cross
  • http://www.redcross.org/
  • Get Help: http://www.redcross.org/get-help
• TRICARE Disaster Info
  • Home page: https://tricare.mil/Resources/DisasterInfo
  • After a disaster: http://www.tricare.mil/Resources/DisasterInfo/AfterDisaster
  • Emergency prescription refills: https://tricare.mil/Resources/DisasterInfo/DisasterAlerts/09_10_18_Hurricane_Florence
  • Contacts: http://www.tricare.mil/contacts/
• TRICARE East
  • Humana Military Health Care Services East:
    • https://www.humanamilitary.com/east/
  • TRICARE Customer Service: (800) 444-5445

Military Aid Societies

• Army Emergency Relief
  Home Page: http://www.aerhq.org/
  Phone number: 866-878-6378 (toll free) or 703-428-00002.
• Air Force Aid Society
  Home page: http://www.afas.org/
  Emergency Assistance: http://www.afas.org/EA
  Phone Number: 703-972-2650
• Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society
  Home Page: http://www.nmcrs.org
  Disaster Relief: http://www.nmcrs.org/pages/disaster-relief
  Phone Number: 800-654-836
• Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA)
  Home Page: http://www.cgmahq.org/
  Phone Number: 800-881-2462

Major Commands

• Southern Command
  Home Page: http://www.southcom.mil/
  Hurricane Hotline: 305-437-3919
• Special Operations Command
  Home Page: http://www.socom.mil/Pages/Weather.aspx
  Phone Number: Phone: 813-826-4600 or DSN: 299-4600 (Public Affairs Office)
• Navy Installations Command Emergency Information: http://ready.navy.mil/be_informed/emergency_actions.html

 

Today and everyday, we have your back. Our RRRP team is standing by if you need assistance in the days and weeks after Hurricane Florence hits to connect you with the resources you need.