Hurricane Hunters play a crucial role in forecasting and tracking powerful storms like Hurricane Helene. As the only routinely flying weather reconnaissance team in the world, their mission is to provide real-time data to the National Hurricane Center.
“Our primary mission is to take the coordinates that the National Hurricane Center gives us and define the exact center of the storm,” explained Lt. Col. Kaitlyn McLaughlin, aerial reconnaissance weather officer of the 403rd Wing, which is based in Mississippi and had been investigating Helene for days before it hit the United States, killing more than 115 people. The team embarks on 10-hour flights, covering the eye of the storm to ensure the accuracy of forecasts.
According to the US Air Force, tropical weather reconnaissance is governed by the National Hurricane Operations Plan. Squadrons support 24-hour a day operation and can fly up to three storms simultaneously. Squadrons have around 10 full-time and 10 part-time reserve air crews and coordinate with the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
For pilots like Maj. Alex Boykin, the mission is personal. As a resident of Pensacola, Florida, close to the path of Helene, his family’s safety was on the line.
“We’re going to get into this storm so I can make sure we get the most current information out to the National Hurricane Service and everyone back home,” Boykin said before the storm hit Florida.
In addition to standard atmospheric data collected from dropsondes, small tubes that measure wind speed, direction and temperature, the team also works with the U.S. Navy to gather underwater data. These larger dropsondes are deployed 100 meters below the ocean’s surface to provide detailed information about the storm. With automatic updates sent to the National Hurricane Center every 10 minutes, the team’s efforts ensure that the forecast cone is as precise as possible.
