Latest news with #hurricanehunter
New York Times
2 days ago
- Climate
- New York Times
Another Potential Storm Is Brewing in the Gulf of Mexico
A potential tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico could form and make landfall in Texas or Mexico before Erin even threatens land. While one hurricane hunter flight on Thursday afternoon was en route to the middle of the Atlantic to investigate Erin, another zoomed through a cluster of thunderstorms in the western Gulf of Mexico. While the storm isn't yet strong or even organized into a tropical storm structure, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center believe there is at least a medium chance it could form into a named storm. If it did, it would be called Fernand, the sixth named storm of this year's Atlantic hurricane season. The most likely scenario, forecasters said, is that the storm becomes a tropical depression, which means it begins to create a structure similar to a tropical storm but its winds don't reach the 39 miles per hour that would qualify it as a tropical storm. Regardless of whether this cluster of rainstorms turns into a depression or even into Fernand, it is likely to bring heavy rainfall to portions of Texas. In early July, Barry formed into a tropical storm and quickly accelerated into the eastern coast of Mexico, making landfall the same day it formed. The same thing could happen on Friday as this cluster of storms moves toward Texas or Mexico. Although Barry wasn't strong and departed quickly, the influx of tropical moisture from the storm helped intensify the heavy rainfall that lead to devastating floods in Central Texas on July 4 that left more than 130 people dead. This storm isn't expected to bring that kind of rain, but it could cause some flooding in southeast Texas on Friday. 'Any further intensification of this system will increase the rainfall threat across Deep South Texas,' forecasters with the Weather Prediction Center said. The 'greatest vulnerability' for heavy rainfall, they said, is likely to be in the urban areas around Brownsville and McAllen.
CBS News
01-06-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Anatomy of a hurricane: Meet the NOAA pilots and planes flying into the storm
At first glance, the Lockheed WP-3D Orion sitting quietly inside a hangar at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's facility appears unremarkable. But when a hurricane begins swirling in the Atlantic or Gulf, this aircraft becomes one of the most important tools in storm forecasting: It flies straight into the heart of the storm. For NOAA pilot Andrew Reeves, now entering his second year as a hurricane hunter, the experience is anything but ordinary. "A good way to think of it is riding an old wooden roller coaster through a car wash," said Reeves, standing outside the aircraft he's trained to pilot directly into tropical cyclones. What is a hurricane hunter plane? The WP-3D Orion is part of the NOAA's Hurricane Hunter program. These aircraft are essentially flying laboratories, packed with instruments designed to gather high-resolution data in places where traditional weather stations can't go — like the middle of a developing hurricane. "What weather stations are in the middle of the ocean? None, right?" Reeves said. As the plane cuts through high winds and torrential rain, it collects critical information on cloud structure, wind speeds, atmospheric pressure, and humidity levels. This data is transmitted back in real time to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to improve forecasts and help meteorologists better understand storm dynamics. How Hurricane Hunters collect storm data Among the many tools onboard is one particularly important device: the dropsonde. This instrument is deployed from a tube on the plane and free-falls through the storm, transmitting data as it descends. "It measures temperature, wind, pressure, humidity," said electronics engineer Steven Paul. "These are critical in data collecting. The data we collect with these gets input into the models the forecasters use to forecast." The real-time information from these sensors is what helps meteorologists refine the forecast cone that viewers see on TV during hurricane season. Every storm the aircraft flies into makes future forecasts just a little bit more accurate. Who creates the hurricane forecast cones? Back on land, that data is analyzed by some of the top forecasters in the world at the NHC. "I know many of them, they are world-class people," said Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the NHC. "They do an amazing thing not only for the National Hurricane Center but for our community as a whole." Each mission is staffed by both experienced pilots and NOAA scientists who work together to ensure they fly into the most valuable parts of the storm for data collection. New technology expands the mission This year, NOAA is deploying unmanned aerial systems (UAS) alongside its crewed flights, which will allow for even more comprehensive data collection. "We will have more unmanned aerial systems launching inside the storm," said Reeves. "That allows us to remain inside the eye for longer collecting more data." These drones can fly into areas of the storm too dangerous or turbulent for a manned aircraft, effectively expanding the coverage zone for NOAA's observations. Why hurricane hunters matter more than ever With climate change influencing the intensity and behavior of storms, the work of hurricane hunters is more crucial than ever. More accurate data leads to better storm models, earlier warnings, and potentially, lives saved. Despite the inherent risks and turbulence, Reeves says he wouldn't trade his job for anything. "It's the greatest flying job there is."
