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Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Inside the Storm: Hurricane Hunters save lives from the sky
LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) – When a hurricane threatens the coast, most people board up, pack up, and head inland, but for a small but mighty team based in Lakeland, evacuation isn't part of the plan because their job is to fly directly into the eye of the storm. They are NOAA's Hurricane Hunters, a brave crew of pilots, scientists, engineers, and flight directors who risk their lives to gather the data that helps meteorologists predict where hurricanes will go and how powerful they'll be when they arrive. Surviving the Storm: A look back at 2024's wild hurricane season 'We just hit a pocket of lightning, and the whole interior of the aircraft lit up,' said NOAA pilot Andrew Reves, describing one of many intense flights. 'You can hear the radios pop.' Flying into a hurricane takes an entire crew. It is tightly coordinated and scientifically essential. Each flight delivers real-time data to the National Hurricane Center in Miami — data that satellites alone can't provide. 'A lot of times, people ask if we're scared when we do this,' said Captain Nate Kahn, Commanding Officer at NOAA's Aircraft Operations Center. 'Absolutely. But in the moment, you're so focused, so trained, you're not afraid.' Using two 50-year-old WP-3D Orion turboprop planes nicknamed Kermit and Miss Piggy, the Hurricane Hunters slice through intense rain bands. Despite their age, the aircraft haven't had major structural upgrades — they're designed to ride the storm, not fight it. 'We allow the storm to push us up and push us down,' Kahn explained. 'If we tried to maintain a set altitude, the storm would break the airplane.' These planes often experience rapid vertical drops — sometimes 1,500 feet or more — in mere seconds, making each flight feel more like a rollercoaster than a routine operation. But it's what's inside that makes the difference: an array of sensors and instruments that collect detailed measurements of wind speed, barometric pressure, temperature, and humidity. 'It's sort of like taking a CAT scan of the storm,' said aerospace engineer Nick Underwood. 'All that data gets pushed together to give us a clear picture of how the storm is developing.' One of the most critical tools is the dropsonde — a small device launched at specific points throughout the storm that transmits data as it falls. When combined with radar and other instruments, these tools provide the 3D model forecasters rely on. 'We're constantly communicating with the ground and making sure we're collecting the data that matters,' flight director Jon Zawislak said. 'That all goes into the models.' While new technology is beginning to play a role — like autonomous drones that can fly within 100 feet of the ocean's surface — it's still the Hurricane Hunters who provide the highest-quality, in-storm data. 'We're using uncrewed systems to collect data we couldn't get any other way,' said Capt. Bill Mowitt, Director of NOAA's Uncrewed Operations Center. 'It's already showing us ways we can improve our models.' For many of these scientists, the mission is personal. Some call Florida home — meaning they often fly into storms threatening their own neighborhoods. 'We were the crew on the final mission before Hurricane Milton made landfall,' Zawislak said. 'We could see the effects on Tampa Bay and St. Pete. We were flying right over it.' And as hurricane season approaches, these men and women have one message for the people on the ground: 'Be prepared. That's what makes all of this worth it.' From the heart of the storm to our local forecast, the data collected by the Hurricane Hunters is crucial for keeping communities safe. WFLA's 'Surviving the Storm' Hurricane special is airing on May 31 at 7 p.m. You can watch it at 7 p.m. on air on WFLA News Channel 8 or through the Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather: New Orleans faces growing flood risk as relentless storms pummel South
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Welcome to the Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather. It's Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Start your day with everything you need to know about today's weather. You can also get a quick briefing of national, regional and local weather whenever you like with the FOX Weather Update podcast. Damage has been reported in portions of Texas and Louisiana as severe weather tore across the region on Tuesday. Powerful storms pummeled communities with high winds and softball-sized hail . Extreme weather has been threatening the South for days, from the southern Plains to the Gulf Coast, leaving a 10-year-old Texas girl dead after she was swept away by floodwaters . Severe storms are expected to redevelop Wednesday afternoon across parts of the Texas Coastal Plain, with large hail and strong wind gusts as the primary threats. Meanwhile, days of storms have created a flash flood threat across parts of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. A large area of thunderstorms is already soaking portions of Louisiana as of Wednesday morning. Southeastern Louisiana, including New Orleans, has been placed in a Level 3 out of 4 flash flood risk from Wednesday morning through Thursday morning. Rainfall totals could exceed a half-foot in some areas along the Gulf Coast once the event wraps up by Friday. Parts of the Rockies have seen feet of snow since Monday, and more snow could pile up through Wednesday before finally tapering off. Snow accumulations remain at elevations above 7,000 feet in Colorado and New Mexico. Chacon, New Mexico, leads the way with 34 inches of snow as of Tuesday evening, while Echo Lake, Colorado, has recorded 13 inches. Winter Storm Watches and Warnings are in effect. Hurricane season is on the horizon, and NOAA's Hurricane Hunters are ready to fly into any storms to keep Americans safe. FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell spoke with Capt. Nate Kahn, commanding officer of the Noaa Aircraft Operations Center, about the Hurricane Hunters and what it's like to fly into a hurricane. "Flying into the storms is an exercise in, I'd call it, nine hours of mild discomfort interspersed with two to three minutes of sheer and utter terror," Kahn said to Campbell. Here are a few more stories you might find interesting. Need more weather? Check your local forecast plus 3D radar in the FOX Weather app . You can also watch FOX Weather wherever you go using the FOX Weather app, at or on your favorite streaming service . It's easy to share your weather photos and videos with us. Email them to weather@ or add the hashtag #FOXWeather to your post on your favorite social media platform. Original article source: Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather: New Orleans faces growing flood risk as relentless storms pummel South
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
See planes, equipment Hurricane Hunters use when they fly into some of world's worst storms
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways LAKELAND, Fla. – Hurricane season is on the horizon, and NOAA's Hurricane Hunters are ready to fly into any storms to keep Americans safe. FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell spoke with Capt. Nate Kahn, commanding officer of the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center, about the Hurricane Hunters and what it's like to fly into a hurricane. "Flying into the storms is an exercise in, I'd call it, nine hours of mild discomfort interspersed with two to three minutes of sheer and utter terror," Kahn said to Campbell. Capt. Nate Kahn. He noted how, sometimes, conditions are such that the pilots are unable to see where they are going. Pilots also have to safely navigate the storms, even when conditions cause the aircraft to fly sideways. "When you're in 200 mph winds, it takes a significant angle to keep the plane moving in the right direction, which is part of the magic," he said. Something A Bit Unusual Is Happening In The Tropics Despite these conditions, Hurricane Hunters persevere for the sake of gathering life-saving information. Kahn said that NOAA's two P-3 Orion aircraft – affectionately called "Kermit" and "Miss Piggy" – have aboard a team of about eight researchers that collect and process data about the storms. This data is then sent to NOAA's National Hurricane Center, where the data is used by meteorologists to form forecasts for people who might be affected by the storms that Hurricane Hunters are studying. While meteorologists at the NHC are developing forecasts, Hurricane Hunters have a meteorologist as part of their team. This individual helps the team stay safe during the flight. How To Watch Fox Weather Hurricane season for the Eastern Pacific Ocean begins May 15, and the season for the Atlantic Ocean begins on June 1. Original article source: See planes, equipment Hurricane Hunters use when they fly into some of world's worst storms
