The seven ships equipped with cruise missiles are the guided missile cruiser USS Cape St.

CNN: U.S. not building up military forces in Gulf

The guided missile cruiser USS Normandy, a veteran of Operation Desert Storm, has been based in New York for four years and will be open for public tours.

CNN: New York celebrates Parade of Ships

The carrier and its 5, 000-person crew were to leave Feb. 8, along with the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg.

NPR: How Budget Cuts Could Affect You

The Navy has offered an Aegis cruiser, a guided missile destroyer and two fast frigates to support evacuation efforts.

CNN: Chertoff: Lessons from Katrina being applied to fire response