Tyndall is being rebuilt as a super-resilient “installation of the future.”

Tyndall is being rebuilt as a super-resilient “installation of the future.”

Photographer: Patrick Focke/US Department of Defense
Climate Politics

Hegseth Says Climate Change Is ‘Crap.’ The Military Is Still Bracing for It

Climate is now a verboten topic in the Pentagon, but the battle against storms, fires, floods and rising seas hasn’t stopped.

When Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm, tore through Florida’s Tyndall Air Force Base in 2018, it battered F-22 stealth fighter jets, destroyed hundreds of buildings and churned up 700,000 cubic yards of debris. The total cost of the damage approached $5 billion.

Now, Tyndall is being rebuilt as a super-resilient “installation of the future.” New buildings sit more than a foot above the ground, to remain dry through 75 years of sea-level rise. Their roofs are designed to withstand winds of up to 165 miles per hour. Manmade oyster reefs will protect coasts by breaking up waves.