Forecasters Bring “Hurricane Hunter” and Awareness to Storm-Prone Regions

Dennis Feltgen
NOAA National Hurricane Center

April 20, 2009 — More than 13,000 people across the Caribbean, Mexico and the Bahamas took a rare, first-hand look inside one of the best defenses against hurricanes: the WC-130J “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft.

The reconnaissance aircraft received a “rock star’s” welcome as part of NOAA’s five-city Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour of vulnerable island and coastal areas, which took place the week of March 22.

In San Juan, Puerto Rico alone, tours of the aircraft drew a crowd of more than 11,000 people.

“The Caribbean was hit hard last season by three major hurricanes striking Cuba, devastating floods in Haiti and impacts on other Caribbean islands,” said National Hurricane Director Bill Read. “We want to help save lives through both preparedness and awareness before this year’s season begins on June 1.”

The WC-130J airplanes — operated by the Air Force Reserve in coordination with NOAA — are high-flying, meteorological weather stations that travel through the eye of a hurricane to gather important data for computer models forecasters use to predict hurricane activity and issue advanced warning.  
Read, along with senior hurricane specialist Lixion Avila and meteorologist Gladys Rubio accompanied the crew aboard the “Hurricane Hunter” to Nassau, Bahamas; Poza Rica, Mexico; Villahermosa, Mexico; San Juan; and Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Local and national media outlets widely covered the visit and helped disseminate critical hurricane preparedness information to area residents.