LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) — As a hurricane threatens the coast, most people are on board, packing and heading inland, but due to a small but strong team based in Lakeland, evacuation is not part of the plan.
They are NOAA hurricane hunters, brave crews of pilots, scientists, engineers and flight directors, risking the lives of collecting data that helps meteorologists predict where a hurricane will go and how powerful it will be upon arrival.
Surviving the Storm: Looking back at the 2024 Wild Hurricane Season
“We hit a pocket of lightning bolts and illuminated the interior of the aircraft,” NOAA pilot Andrew Reves said, explaining one of the many intense flights. “You can listen to the pop on the radio.”
When you jump into a hurricane, you need the entire crew. It is closely coordinated and scientifically essential. Each flight will provide real-time data to Miami’s National Hurricane Center. This is data that cannot be provided by satellites alone.
“Many times, when we do this, we ask if we’re scared,” said Captain Nate Kern, commander of NOAA’s Aircraft Operations Center. “Absolutely. But for now, you’re so focused and trained, so you’re not afraid.”
Using two 50-year-old WP-3D Orion Turboprop Planes called Kermit and Miss Piggy, Hurricane Hunter slices a band of heavy rain. Despite their age, the aircraft does not have any major structural upgrades. They are designed to ride a storm rather than a storm.
“We’ll allow the storm to push us up and down,” explained Khan. “If you try to maintain a set altitude, the storm will destroy the plane.”
These planes often experience rapid vertical drops (sometimes over 1,500 feet) in just a few seconds, and each flight feels more like a roller coaster than everyday operations. But it’s what makes a difference. An array of sensors and instruments that collect detailed measurements of wind speed, pressure, temperature and humidity.
“It’s like doing a cat scan in a storm,” said aerospace engineer Nick Underwood. “All that data is pushed together and you can get a clear picture of how the storm is developing.”
One of the most important tools is DropSonde. This is a small device that is launched at a specific point throughout the storm that sends data as data drops. When combined with radar and other equipment, these tools rely on predictors of 3D models.
“We’re always communicating with the ground and making sure we’re collecting important data,” said flight director John the Wythrack. “It’s all in the model.”
New technology is beginning to play a role, but it is still hurricane hunters who provide the highest quality inventory data, like autonomous drones that can fly within 100 feet of the ocean surface.
Colonel Bill Mowitt, director of NOAA’s uncrowd operations center, said: “We’ve already shown how we can improve our model.”
For many of these scientists, missions are personal. Some call Florida home. In other words, they often jump into a storm that threatens their neighborhood.
“We were the crew of the final mission before Hurricane Milton landed,” The Whislack said. “We could see the impact on Tampa Bay and St. Pete. We were flying over it.”
And as hurricane season approaches, these men and women have one message for people on earth.
“Prepare it. That’s why it’s all worth it.”
From the heart of the storm to local forecasts, data collected by hurricane hunters is important to keeping communities safe.
WFLA’s “Surviving the Storm” Hurricane Special will air May 31st at 7pm. You can watch it at 7pm via the WFLANewsChannel 8 or the WFLA CTV app.
