Latest news with #HurricaneHunter
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
What An Invest Means In Hurricane Season
As hurricane season rolls around, you may start to hear the term 'invest' used, but what does it mean? An invest – short for "investigation" – is a naming convention used by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to identify features they are monitoring for potential future development into a tropical depression or storm. However, just because an invest is identified does not necessarily mean the system will become a tropical depression or storm. These invests will usually be festering clusters of showers and thunderstorms that do not yet have a persistent low-level circulation, but might show signs of organization. The term 'invest' is followed by a number 90 through 99 and then a letter, such as Invest 90L. The first invest of the season starts with 90, the next with 91, etc. until it reaches 99, then loops back around to 90. The letter signifies the basin that the invest is in, with the letter 'L' for the Northern Atlantic basin systems or 'E' for the Eastern Pacific basin systems. The numbering system is separate for each basin, so there can be an Invest 90L and Invest 90E simultaneously. According to the NHC, by designating a tropical weather system as an invest, the collection of specialized data sets and computer models on the area of interest can begin. That includes the scheduling of Hurricane Hunter aircraft missions and the running of hurricane models, including the well-known spaghetti model tracks. However, just because a system has been called an invest doesn't guarantee development into a tropical depression or storm. Invests do not count in the season's statistics like storms and hurricanes. Miriam Guthrie graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with an undergraduate degree in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and is now a meteorology intern with before returning to school for her masters.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Meteorologist Warns Trump's Cuts Will Have Consequences on Live TV
A meteorologist at NBC6 in Miami took time from his weather report to call out the 'gutting' federal cuts that have left the National Weather Service understaffed, underinformed, and with a quality of forecast that is considerably lower than it's been in recent years, making it harder to accurately track hurricanes this upcoming season. Veteran meteorologist John Morales opened his segment with a six-year old clip of him accurately reporting on the path of Hurricane Dorian. 'Confidently, I went on TV and I told you, 'It's going to turn. You don't need to worry. It is going to turn,'' he said, referring to the NWS's hurricane prediction ability. 'And I am here to tell you that I am not sure I can do that this year, because of the cuts, the gutting, the sledgehammer attack on science in general.... This is a multigenerational impact on science in this country.' Morales first noted that all central and south Florida NWS sites are around 20 to 40 percent understaffed right now. There has been 'nearly 20 percent reduction in weather balloon releases, launches, that carry those radio signs. And what we're starting to see is that the quality of the forecast is becoming degraded because of some of these cuts,' he added. 'There is also a chance that … NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft will not be able to fly this year. And with less reconnaissance missions, we may be flying blind. And we may not exactly know how strong a hurricane is before it reaches the coastline.' DOGE made massive cuts to NWS that caused the agency to lose 600 employees, due to layoffs or early retirement. Multiple local field offices had a vacancy rate of over 20 percent as of March, causing anxiety to rise as we enter hurricane season. The NWS's mission is 'protection of life and property.' The DOGE cuts are stopping them from doing that. More people will be in harm's way with less information because of decisions made by Elon Musk and Donald Trump. This, not efficiency, is the real material impact of DOGE. 'I was asked to talk about this today, I'm glad I was,' Morales concluded, 'I just want you to know that what you need to do is call your representatives, and make sure that these cuts are stopped.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Hurricane Season 2025: A WGNO Special Program
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — We are officially in storm season, and we should all be prepared. It's been 20 years since Hurricane Katrina's impact and storms continue to be part of the lives of people living along the coast. This WGNO special program covers topics such as this year's hurricane outlook, the Isle de Jean Charles Resettlement Project, coastal erosion, Hurricane Hunter missions and the story of New Orleans brass bands returning to the city after Hurricane Katrina. Impact of coastal erosion through Isle de Jean Charles Resettlement Project Here at WGNO, we want to make sure you are ready for 2025's storm season and WGNO's weather team has the predictions and the information to help you all season long. Join Hank Allen, Carrigan Chauvin and Natalie Parsons for this WGNO special report!Original play, 'Hurricane Party' showing in New Orleans this weekend Slidell Police Chief talks benefits of approved pay raise Hurricane Season 2025: A WGNO Special Program Trump administration unveils more detailed proposal for steep 2026 spending cuts Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office warns of deadly 'pink cocaine' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Federal cuts: Hurricane aircraft's Sarasota stop in public awareness campaign scrapped
As the six-month hurricane season looms, cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are already making a local impact. NOAA scrapped a pre-season public awareness event at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport set for Thursday during the national hurricane preparedness week, which runs May 4-8. The cancelation of a scheduled visit from a Hurricane Hunter aircraft to draw attention to the need to prepare early for the season that begins June 1 comes as NOAA has undergone significant layoffs and funding cuts − and as the Sarasota area braces for what could be another extreme storm season. Hurricane experts from NOAA were scheduled months ago to visit Sarasota Bradenton International Airport in a Hurricane Hunter aircraft — which flies through tropical cyclones, including fierce hurricanes, to gather vital data — as part of the organization's Hurricane Awareness Tour. Public awareness and education is considered a critical element of hurricane preparedness, especially given the state's vulnerability to storms and rapidly growing population, with a constant influx of people from areas that don't regularly experience tropical weather. Knowing how and when to prepare, what type of evacuation zone you're in, whether you're in a flood zone and other information can be life and death information. But the event was scrapped early this year as President Donald Trump's administration implemented budget cuts. Jennifer Hubbard, a warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Tampa, cited NOAA's implemented 'travel restrictions' as a reason for the cancelation in an email to the Herald-Tribune. She declined to comment further. The event was set toward the end of Sarasota County's hurricane preparedness week, which has already seen a host of events aimed at educating the community on how to get ready for storm season. The county has emphasized a different component of hurricane preparedness each day this week: Sunday, May 4: Know Your Risk: Water & Wind Monday, May 5: Prepare Before Hurricane Season Tuesday, May 6: Understand Forecast Information Wednesday, May 7: Get Moving When a Storm Threatens Thursday, May 8: Stay Protected During Storms Friday, May 9: Use Caution After Storms Saturday, May 10: Take Action Today NOAA is a comprehensive federal organization that studies Earth's atmosphere, oceans and climate. NOAA includes components like the National Weather Service, which provides forecasts and warnings from regional offices across the country, and it typically releases a forecast for hurricane season — which runs June 1 to Nov. 30 — on May 15. The Trump administration laid off an estimated 650 NOAA employees — including two Hurricane Hunter flight directors and an electronic engineer — in February in the name of cutting government spending. NOAA employees have been told to expect a 50% reduction in its staff of almost 12,000. The cuts, NOAA scientists say, could impede NOAA's forecasting ability, hindering a key element of public safety. Last year's seasonal forecast predicted eight to 13 hurricanes and four to seven major hurricanes — in line with the 11 hurricanes and five major hurricanes that formed in 2024, including the three that struck Sarasota-Manatee. More: Plan to merge New College and USF Sarasota-Manatee halted at legislative session Other organizations like the Climate Adaptation Center (CAC) — a nonprofit organization comprised of climate scientists, executives and entrepreneurs — supplement NOAA services with activities of their own. The CAC issued its prediction of 17 named storms, 10 hurricanes and five major hurricanes last month: an above-average season similar to last year's historic parade of storms. Bob Bunting, the center's CEO, said forecasting services from organizations like NOAA and the CAC are essential to the Sarasota area. In a region that saw three hurricanes in 65 days, Bunting said residents should know what to expect as quickly and accurately as possible to properly prepare. 'Our community is so vulnerable,' Bunting said. 'Early preparation here has a different meaning.' More: Sarasota City Commission reboots city manager search, decides to hire new firm to help No component of preparation — securing your home, stocking up on supplies and making an evacuation plan — is possible without knowing when or where a hurricane is set to hit, Bunting said. Cutting-edge research and technology from organizations like NOAA have allowed millions of people in vulnerable areas, including the more-than 65,000 Sarasota County residents who live in Flood Zone A, to weather an increasingly severe onslaught of storms. 'They then can evacuate, prepare, get their houses ready,' Bunting said, 'the million little things that communities do to survive these climate impacts.' Contact Herald-Tribune Reporter Heather Bushman at hbushman@ Follow her on Twitter @hmb_1013. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Federal NOAA cuts hit hurricane awareness, possibly season forecasting
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Hurricane Hunters fly into world's worst weather. See which storm was the bumpiest
MIAMI – New research is shedding light on just how bumpy Hurricane Hunter missions can be and which seat on the aircraft most closely resembles a roller coaster ride. To characterize these flights, meteorologists examined hurricane missions dating back to the 1980s and developed what they call the "bumpiness index." The index is based on a complex equation that factors in aircraft movements such as roll and pitch, which can vary significantly during a mission. "Since rotational motions are experienced differently depending on where someone is on a plane, the bumpiness index takes into account seat position," authors of the research published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society stated. "We then rank the bumpiest flights in recent history by gathering flight-level data from every tropical cyclone mission on the P-3 since 2004 when data needed from missions for this analysis became readily available, as well as data from the infamous flights into Hurricanes Allen (1980) and Hugo (1989)." 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season Guide Hurricane Ian in 2022 provided some of the most striking data for the one-of-a-kind study, with researchers documenting rapid accelerations and abrupt shifts in the aircraft. Despite the intense ride, Ian did not top the list as the bumpiest flight - that distinction went to Hurricane Hugo in 1989 - when the pilot's seat recorded a bumpiness value of 7.86 meters per second squared. The level of turbulence experienced during that flight would be classified as "severe" under NOAA's turbulence intensity scale. Despite such extreme conditions, missions largely proceeded as planned, including the deployment of the first uncrewed aerial system from a Lockheed WP-3D Orion aircraft during Hurricane Ian. Other notable tropical cyclones making the list include Hurricane Irma (2017), Hurricane Dorian (2019), and Hurricane Michael (2018). The study also evaluated bumpiness across the 19 seats on the aircraft and found that the right pilot seat was often the bumpiest, while the seat typically occupied by the lead scientist experienced the least amount of sway. During Hurricane Ian, the right pilot seat - referred to as "seat 2" - recorded the highest bumpiness value at 6.13 m/s², while "seat 10," typically assigned to the lead scientist, recorded the lowest at 4.40 m/s² - a difference of more than 36%. Something A Bit Unusual Is Happening In The Tropics The findings aligned with long-term theories and observations that those seated farther from the aircraft's center axis, either at the front or rear of the plane, tend to experience more intense movements than those seated near the wings. The same general rule applies to commercial aircraft, where passengers in the rear often endure bumpier rides, though nowhere near the levels encountered while flying through a hurricane. Aside from the flight crew, mission participants usually include meteorologists, weather reconnaissance officers and engineers, with flights often lasting several article source: Hurricane Hunters fly into world's worst weather. See which storm was the bumpiest
