Episode 22 - Hunting Hurricanes with Jeremy DeHart and Kyle Larson
Show Notes
Host: Ryan Harris
Guest: Lieutenant Colonels Jeremy DeHart and Kyle Larson, U.S. Air Force 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (aka The Hurricane Hunters)
Description: Most people run from hurricanes. Jeremy DeHart and Kyle Larson run toward them, or rather, they fly into them...on purpose. 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. Without the information, the intensity and track of hurricane predictions would be wildly inaccurate. Take a journey with us as we explore Hurricane Hunter missions in Michael, Ian, and even the atmospheric rivers that flooded California this January. 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)