MARATHON, FLA. (WSVN) - A team of specialists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration made a special stop in Marathon as part of their Hurricane Awareness Tour to give the public a rare look inside the aircraft and to discuss the upcoming hurricane season.
The stop at the Florida Keys Marathon International Airport is important because Florida is no stranger to hurricanes, with their intense winds and dangerous rainfall.
The group of aviators said their mission is to keep the public safe. One of the things they are known for is flying their airplanes into hurricanes to measure their intensity and the accuracy of hurricane warnings.
“The data provided by the U.S. Air Force Reserve hurricane hunters improved forecasts of hurricane track intensity and structure, and increased the accuracy of hurricane watches and warnings,” said NOAA’s Kennard “Chip” Kasper.
The plane these experts fly feeds forecasters with real-time meteorological data.
“The data they provide give us more confidence than ever in the track, the intensity forecast, how strong a storm’s going to be, where the strongest winds are going to be, where dangerous storm surge is going to be. And that’s allowed us to improve our forecast that we work with,” said National Hurricane Center Director Dr. Michael Brennan.
With less than 50 days until the start of the season, officials emphasized that preparation for the storm season is the most important.
“This is the time to think about what your hurricane plan looks like, where you’re going to go, and how you’re going to get to a safe place. How are you taking care of friends and family, loved ones who might have special needs,” said Brennan.
The scientists also had a chance to share their experience from inside the eye of the storm.
“When it’s a developing storm, you can have a turbulent flight into the storm because it’s still all developing. But also in a very well-developed storm — it could be smooth,” said Aerial Reconnaissance Weather Officer Major Joyce Hirai.
The group wants the public to rest assured that their trips across the sky will ensure safety for those down below this hurricane season.
“I hope the only time we see the hurricane hunters is today on deck — nowhere near us during the hurricane season,” said Brennan.
NOAA’s official hurricane seasonal forecast doesn’t come out till next month.
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