Nearly 6,600 recruits and 1,000 personnel are being evacuated from Parris Island, South Carolina, to Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Georgia, officials said.
It is not yet known how long the recruits will train in Georgia, said Capt. Adam Flores, a spokesman for Parris Island. It will depend on the weather and if the storm causes any damage to the recruit training depot.
Hurricane Irma is expected to hit the East Coast this weekend as a Category 4 storm.
The evacuation began Friday morning, Parris Island posted on its Facebook page. Commercial buses are being used to take the recruits and other personnel to Georgia.
An advance team of Marines has already arrived in Georgia to prepare for the influx of personnel.
This is not the first time that Parris Island has evacuated to Georgia. In October 2016, recruits were moved there ahead of Hurricane Matthew.
