Photo By Marnee Losurdo | More than 8,000 people toured the WC-130J on display in Puerto Rico April 25, 2015,...... read more read more
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KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss -- An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircrew with their WC-130J aircraft and a team of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hurricane forecasters visited two Mexican and five Caribbean cities April 20-25 as part of the annual Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour.
The CHAT, a joint effort between NOAA's National Hurricane Center and the 403rd Wing's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, promotes hurricane awareness and preparedness throughout the Caribbean region.
This outreach program began in the 1970s, and is conducted annually prior to hurricane season.
More than 13,000 people attended this year's tour, which stopped at Merida and Cozumel, Mexico, Bonaire, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Eustatius, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
"The Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour makes the forecasting and warning process real for people, and they come away knowing how serious we are about getting the forecast right, and they get to see the expertise of the crew of the plane and the equipment," said Dr. Richard Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center a NOAA facility in Miami.
The NHC works with these countries' meteorological services, civil protection agencies, elected officials, and media partners, sharing vital weather observations and data to assist in tracking tropical storms and hurricanes and in issuing warnings to enhance public safety during the hurricane season, Knabb explained.
At each CHAT location, Knabb and representatives from the countries' meteorological services and disaster preparedness agencies briefed local officials and the media about the impact of hurricanes in the region and the importance of being prepared. The Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters provided tours of WC-130J and explained how they use the aircraft to collect and transmit critical storm data to the NHC for their forecasts.
"The CHAT is a great opportunity for the public to come out and see the WC-130J and gain an understanding of how we actually collect the data and provide it to the NHC," said Lt. Col. Matthew Muha, 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron commander.
During a tropical storm or hurricane, 53rd WRS aircrews can fly through the eye of a storm four to six times. During each pass through the eye, crews release a dropsonde, which collects temperature, wind speed, wind direction, humidity, and barometric pressure data. The crew also collects surface wind speed and flight-level data. This information is transmitted to the NHC to assist them with their storm warnings and hurricane forecast models in the Atlantic, Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
The last two storm seasons have been slower in the Atlantic, with 2013 being the calmest hurricane seasons on record for the United States, and with only two hurricanes overall in the Atlantic basin. In 2014, there were six hurricanes in the Atlantic, which is below the norm; however, it was a very active year in the Pacific with 16 hurricanes.
Although the Atlantic has had fewer storms the past two years, Knabb said the CHAT plays an important role in reminding people to be prepared.
This message was particularly important for islands such as Bonaire who are rarely hit by severe hurricanes. In 2007, Hurricane Felix passed north of the island with 105mph winds and there was some flooding on the island. The island is directly impacted by a hurricane about every 28 years, according to the Hurricane City website.
"It takes a lot of effort to educate people that even though it doesn't happen very often, it can happen," said Knabb. "They are still vulnerable. It only takes one major hurricane to strike an area to make it a bad hurricane season. That's why this outreach mission is so important. By raising the public's awareness, we can save lives and property."
Grell Browne, director of information for the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, also emphasized the importance of being prepared and appreciated having the Hurricane Hunters and the aircraft on tour in his country.
"Hurricanes are serious business," he said. "Being prepared for hurricane season ... is important, and we need to do it not only from a personal stand point but from a community and national standpoint.
"I also appreciate the fact that our young people have the opportunity to come out and tour the aircraft, see the practical applications of math, science and technology and hope that they can be inspired to explore, understanding that there is a greater world than St Kitts and Nevis; that opportunities galore exist and all you have to do is find your niche and move forward," he said.
Talking to the students was one of the highlights for Muha during the week-long tour. As a civilian, the reservist works with students as a STEM lead at the Air Force Research Laboratory where he is a senior engineer.
"It was great talking to the students, emphasizing science, technology, engineering and math, informing them that most of our crew hold technical degrees," he said. "It gave the youth some insight and to motivate them to study hard."
The event was also a family affair. Puerto Rico, which was the last stop of the tour, showcased some of their emergency management and preparedness assets and had activities for children, in addition to the WC-130J display.
Javier Luyando was one of more than 8,000 people who toured the aircraft. He, and his family, waited in line for an hour. He read an article about the Hurricane Hunters and their mission and wanted to see the crew and aircraft in person, he said.
Luyando, who experienced Hurricane Hugo's 100 mph winds in 1989, said the tour was worth the wait to see the Hurricane Hunters and learn how they collect weather data for the NHC.
"It was a really good experience, and something you don't get to see everyday," he said.
The CHAT is more than an aircraft tour, it's a vital outreach program that saves lives and property and influences future generations, said Muha.
"Having reached first-hand thousands of people who live in one of the world's most hurricane threatened regions, the Hurricane Hunters have again extended their contribution to severe weather preparedness beyond providing information to forecasters. The 53rd has also served as a role model to future meteorologists, aviators, engineers and leaders," said the squadron commander.
For the Hurricane Hunters, it's back to business as usual. They return to Keesler to prepare for the upcoming storm season, which starts June 1 and ends Nov. 30.
| Date Taken: | 04.25.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 12.30.2016 11:43 |
| Story ID: | 219054 |
| Location: | KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MS, US |
| Web Views: | 140 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Hurricane Hunters, National Hurricane Center promote hurricane preparedness in Caribbean, by Marnee Losurdo, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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