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Noaa’s Hurricane Hunters Brave Category 5 Milton

Hurricane hunters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration faced intense conditions while flying into the heart of Category 5 Hurricane Milton as it neared the western shores of Florida. The aircraft, known as “Miss Piggy,” was on a mission to gather vital data to enhance hurricane forecasting and to deepen the scientific community’s understanding of storm behavior.

Footage from the challenging flight revealed NOAA researchers gripping onto the interior of the aircraft while enduring the storm’s punishing winds, which reached speeds of 155 mph (249 kph). The outer scene depicted a striking contrast, with only the plane’s wing visible against a backdrop of ominous gray storm clouds.

The mission held particular significance due to the hurricane’s projected path through densely populated and vulnerable areas that recently experienced the devastation of Hurricane Helene. Sofia de Solo, a NOAA flight director, highlighted the importance of the mission, stating, “This data will then be sent to the National Hurricane Center and into the weather models to help us pinpoint this track forecast,” as reported by Flying Magazine.

The crew’s work, which often spans between 8 to 10 hours, involves flying through the storm’s different phases, including penetrating the eyewall, which is subject to extreme winds and severe turbulence. NOAA’s two specialized aircraft, the Lockheed WP-3D Orion models affectionately known as “Kermit” and “Miss Piggy,” are equipped to withstand the rigors of these missions.

These planes are outfitted with advanced Doppler radar and lower fuselage radar systems designed to provide real-time assessments of the hurricane’s dynamics. Additionally, they can deploy bathythermographs that measure ocean temperatures, delivering crucial information about the storm’s interaction with the sea.

As the crew navigated through Hurricane Milton, the turbulence was so intense that loose objects, including a researcher’s phone and wallet, were flung around the cabin. While such violent conditions could unsettle ordinary airline passengers, the NOAA team remained in good spirits, fully aware of the significance of their work.

Looking ahead, Hurricane Milton is predicted to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area late Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, raising concerns for widespread impacts due to the region’s susceptibility to storm surge, exacerbated by the Gulf of Mexico’s gently sloping seafloor.

Source
www.yahoo.com