Hurricane Hunters tour stops in Portland

ANOTHER ACTIVE SEASON IS EXPECTED, WHICH RUNS FROM JUNE 1 TO NOVEMBER 30. THIS YEAR IS EXPECTED TO HAVE AN ABOVE AVERAGE SEASON WITH MORE THAN 12 HURRICANES…A FEW COULD BE MAJOR STORMS. And while we prepare, NOAA hurricane hunters are scouring the country. THEIR FIRST STOP? Right here in Maine. METEOROLOGIST COLLEEN HURLEY IS ON THE TARMAC WITH OTHERS. “AN EXCITING DAY AT THE PORTLAND JETPORT WHERE STUDENTS, EMERGENCY WORKERS AND THE PUBLIC HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THE NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT. THERE ARE NO WEATHER STATIONS OR RADARS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN WHERE HURRICANES FORM SO IT’S UP TO BRAVE HURRICANE HUNTERS TO STEAL THESE SENSORS DIRECTLY INTO THE STORM.” “MAINLY LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT WIND SPEEDS. WE LOOK AT THE PRESSURES THAT WERE IN THE STORM. WE LOOK AT THE TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY OF THE ENTIRE AIR COLUMN AS IT GOES DOWN TO THE SURFACE OF THE WATER. AT 8 000 FEET, A CREW OF 19 METEOROLOGISTS AND PILOTS FLY ON THIS WP-3D EQUIPPED WITH 3 DIFFERENT RADARS AND SEVERAL WEATHER INSTRUMENTS THEY ALSO DROP SENSORS INTO THE STORM FROM ABOVE AND RELEASE DATA COLLECTION DRONES AT THE SAME. TIME, THIS AIR FORCE WC 130-J FLYS AT 10,000 FEET, SAMPLING EVERY QUADRANT OF THE STORM. “…ALL THIS DATA COMES BACK TO US IN REAL TIME” TO THE HURRICANE CENTER AND HELP OUR HURRICANE. FORECASTERS ANALYZE EXACTLY WHERE THE STORM IS, HOW BIG IT IS, HOW STRONG IT IS. AND THEN IT PLAYS INTO OUR FORECASTS “AND THEY ARE NOT JUST HURRICANES, THEY FLY THROUGH WINTER STORMS, NOR’EASTERS AND ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS TO REFINE THE FORECASTS TOO. PLANES ARE BEATED UP, NEED REPAIRS AND ‘MAINTENANCE AFTER EVERY TRIP AND FOR THE CREW THAT ROLLS UP? THE AIRSICK BAGS ARE ALWAYS NEARBY SO PEOPLE THINK WE’RE NOT AFRAID. Well, crazy or anything. not the case, because everyone has a level of fear that we will go through THE DIFFERENCE IS WE HAVE PEOPLE COUNTING ON US, SO WE HAVE TO REMOVE THAT FEAR AND DO THE WORK “THE DATA THEY COLLECT ALLOWS. ‘IMPROVE FORECASTS BY UP TO 10 TO 20 PERCENT, WHICH IS IMPORTANT, LIFE-SAVING INFORMATION. < COLLEEN > “AND OFFICIALS LIKE I REMIND YOU NOT TO FOCUS ON THE HURRICANE CATEGORY, BUT RATHER ON THE IMPACT OF WATER. INLAND FLOODS AND STORM SURGES ARE THE BIGGEST KILLERS OF TROPICAL STORMS AND HURRICANES HERE IN MAINE REPORT FROM JETPORT, COLLEEN HURLEY MAINES TOTAL WEATHER “TONIGHT… IN PART.

The hurricane awareness tour began Monday with a visit to the Portland Jetport.

The NOAA Hurricane Hunters tour the country ahead of hurricane season (June 1 to November 30) and their first stop was the Portland Jetport. The last time they visited Maine was in the mid 90’s and although we haven’t had a landfill hurricane in Maine since Bob in 1991, we have seen significant impacts from tropical storms and their remains, as well as hurricanes like Bill’s passage. off the coast. Groups of students, emergency managers, meteorologists and members of the public were invited to tour the hurricane-hunting plane and ask questions of the pilots and meteorologists who work on board. The WC-130J “Hercules” is a high-wing, medium-range aircraft used in several weather reconnaissance missions throughout the year. This aircraft is specifically configured to penetrate tropical disturbances and storms, hurricanes and winter storms and is equipped with weather instruments and radars to obtain data on the current development, movement, size and intensity of these systems . The WC-130J is the weather data collection platform for the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (also known as The Air Force Hurricane Hunters). It carries a minimum crew of five people: pilot, co-pilot, navigator, aerial reconnaissance weather officer and weather reconnaissance loadmaster. The crew collects and reports weather data as often as every minute. The WP-3D “Orion”, a multi-role turboprop aircraft, is equipped with a variety of scientific instruments, radars and recording systems for in situ and remote sensing measurements of the atmosphere. The Orion aircraft collects data at low altitudes to fill data gaps not available from ground radar or satellite imagery.

Groups of students, emergency managers, meteorologists and members of the public were invited to tour the hurricane-hunting plane and ask questions of the pilots and meteorologists who work on board.

The WC-130J “Hercules” is a high-wing, medium-range aircraft used in several weather reconnaissance missions throughout the year. This aircraft is specifically configured to penetrate tropical disturbances and storms, hurricanes and winter storms and is equipped with weather instruments and radars to obtain data on the current development, movement, size and intensity of these systems .

The WC-130J is the weather data collection platform for the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (also known as The Air Force Hurricane Hunters). It carries a minimum crew of five people: pilot, co-pilot, navigator, aerial reconnaissance weather officer and weather reconnaissance loadmaster. The crew collects and reports weather data every minute.

The WP-3D “Orion”, a multi-role turboprop aircraft, is equipped with a variety of scientific instruments, radars and recording systems for in situ and remote sensing measurements of the atmosphere. The Orion aircraft collects data at low altitudes to fill data gaps not available from ground radar or satellite imagery.