A historical week this week in the tropical weather world!
76 years ago, the first manned flight into a hurricane occurred. In 1943 when, on a bet (a highball drink), pilot-trainer Colonel Joseph Duckworth flew a single-engine plane (T-6 Talon) into a category 1 storm near Galveston, TX.
Did you know a "surprise" hurricane struck the upper Texas coast 76 years ago this week? This was also the first hurricane to be investigated by flight!! Read all about it from @Hurakan and @BillRead49 at this link: https://t.co/9QeHhok4tn pic.twitter.com/ZWnbwe0TBC
— NWS Houston (@NWSHouston) July 29, 2019Full "VERY interesting" story here
Hurricane Hunters are crews that fly directly into hurricanes to measure their barometric pressure, wind speed and other important parameters of the storm. This real-time information is also used to help forecast the intensity and track of the storm. Before satellites (launched 20 years later) and radar (10 years later), Hurricane Hunters were the only way to accurately explore weather patterns in tropical cyclones.
Today, there are 20 authorized U.S. Air Force crews, AKA "Hurricane Hunters" representing the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, located at Kessler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Online: Hurricane Hunters
