Show Notes
Host: Â Ryan Harris
Guest: Lieutenant Colonels Jeremy DeHart and Kyle Larson, U.S. Air Force 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (aka The Hurricane Hunters)
Description: Â Most people run from hurricanes. Â Jeremy DeHart and Kyle Larson run toward them, or rather, they fly into them...on purpose. Â They are part of the storied unit, the United State Air Force Hurricane Hunters, that literally fly directly into the eye of the storm to collect all-important weather observations to feed critical information into weather models and narrow down the cone of uncertainty. Â Without the information, the intensity and track of hurricane predictions would be wildly inaccurate. Â Take a journey with us as we explore Hurricane Hunter missions in Michael, Ian, and even the atmospheric rivers that flooded California this January. Â LISTEN HERE
References:
- Atmospheric rivers could supercharge California wildfire season (Fox Weather)
- Atmospheric rivers may also be changing the Arctic (CNN)
- Atmospheric rivers batter California (CBS)
- How Air Force Hurricane Hunters help California manage water (Fox Local)
- What’s it like to flight into a hurricane (Esquire)
- VIDEO: Take a ride with the Hurricane Hunters chasing Florence (Wall Street Journal)
- VIDEO: Flying into the Eye of the Storm (Degrees of Science)
- VIDEO: Crabbing into the wind (YouTube)
- Tropical Tidbits
- U.S. Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters
- NOAA Hurricane Hunters
Journey to becoming a Hurricane Hunter
(0:02:56)
Flight planning for hurricane and atmospheric river missions
(0:06:26)
Hurricane data and sensing technology
(0:12:51)
Crabbing into the wind
(0:21:30)
What's it like to fly through a hurricane?
(0:24:00)
Climate change and hurricanes
(0:28:35)
President Biden thanks the Hurricane Hunters
(0:31:57)
How to become a hurricane hunter
(0:34:28)
Key takeaways: reduce the cone of uncertainty, heed hurricane and evacuation warnings, and protect people
(0:36:16)
Member discussion: