Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Maj. Jeremy DeHart, a 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron aerial reconnaissance weather officer, reviews data prior to sending the data to the National Hurricane Center for Hurricane Michael, a Category 4 storm, which made landfall at Mexico Beach, Florida, today.  The Hurricane Hunters gather data from inside the storm to assist the National Hurricane Center in improving the cone of uncertainty that comes with tracking the path of a tropical cyclone. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jessica Kendziorek)Hurricane Hunters inside eye as Michael makes landfall
                        
                        
                        The Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters flew more than 655 hours and 83 missions into 12 named storms over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans during the 2018 hurricane season. Maj. Jeremy DeHart, a 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron aerial reconnaissance weather officer, reviews data prior to sending the data to the National Hurricane Center for Hurricane Michael, a Category 4 storm, which made landfall at Mexico Beach, Fla., today. The Hurricane Hunters gather data from inside the storm to assist the National Hurricane Center in improving the cone of uncertainty that comes with tracking the path of a tropical cyclone. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jessica Kendziorek)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Hurricane Hunters close out active 2018 hurricane seasonPublished Dec. 3, 2018
                    
                    By Lt. Col. Marnee A.C. Losurdo
                    
                    
                    403rd Wing Public Affairs
            **KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFNS) --**The 2018 hurricane season, which ended Nov. 30, was an active one for the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters, who flew more than 655 hours and 83 missions into 12 named storms over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, assigned to the Air Force Reserve’s 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force, Mississippi, is the only Department of Defense unit that conducts aircraft reconnaissance missions into severe tropical weather during the hurricane season June 1 through Nov. 30.These missions are flown to gather data for the National Hurricane Center to improve their forecasts and storm warnings.“It was a very challenging season due to the Atlantic and Pacific basins being so active, stretching 53rd WRS capabilities across their area of responsibility,” said Maj. Jon Brady, 53rd WRS aerial reconnaissance weather officer. “In September alone, we evacuated aircraft from Keesler to Ellington Field, Texas, as Tropical Storm Gordon made its way toward the Gulf Coast. The squadron was operating out of Ellington for the final missions into Gordon. At the same time, the squadron was also preparing to deploy to Hawaii for both Hurricanes Norman and Olivia. While the squadron never flew Norman, due to its course veering to the north of Hawaii, they did perform reconnaissance operations for Hurricane Olivia four days later, which caused wind and flood damage to Maui and Oahu. On top of all that, the squadron was also preparing for Hurricane Florence, which was flown out of Savannah, Georgia.”The 53rd WRS's operations area is immense, ranging from the mid-Atlantic to just west of Hawaii. Through an interagency agreement, tropical weather reconnaissance is governed by the National Hurricane Operations Plan, which requires the squadron to support 24-hour-a-day continuous operations, with the ability to fly up to three storms simultaneously with response times of 16 hours. To provide this quick reaction aircrew and aircraft maintenance force, the squadron has 10 full-time Reserve aircrews and 10 traditional Reserve part-time crews available to fly the 10 WC-130J Hercules aircraft designated to accomplish the mission.The number of named storms exceeded the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's prediction of 13 for the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season. There were 15 named storms—eight hurricanes of which two were major hurricanes, meaning they were a Category 3, 4 or 5 storm and six tropical storms.The squadron kicked off the Atlantic season flying into Tropical Storm Alberto, which formed May 25 and made landfall in northern Florida. The unit also flew Beryl, Chris, Gordon, Kirk and the season’s most destructive storms Hurricanes Florence and Michael, which caused significant damage to the southeastern United States.The first major hurricane of the season was Hurricane Florence. At its peak, it was a Category 4 hurricane but weakened to a Category 1 when it made landfall in North Carolina Sept. 14, bringing catastrophic flooding to the area. A month later, Hurricane Michael rapidly intensified into a Category 4 storm and made landfall Oct. 10 along the Florida Panhandle causing extensive damage to the Panama City including Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Winds speeds up to 155 mph, 1 mph short of Category 5 status, were documented with Hurricane Michael. The Hurricane Hunters were inside the storm center as it made landfall. Michael was the fourth-strongest storm to hit the continental United States, according to NOAA. Florence and Michael caused billions of dollars in damages and there were over 50 fatalities from Florence and 40 more from Michael.While this year’s Atlantic hurricane season wasn’t as active as 2017, the hurricane season in the eastern Pacific Ocean was one of the most active season’s recorded, according to Colorado State University’s Tropical Meteorologist Phil Klotzbach. There were 22 named storms, 12 of which became hurricanes and nine of those were major hurricanes.According to NHC, in terms of Accumulated Cyclone Energy, which measures the strength and duration of tropical storms and hurricanes, activity in the basin in 2018 was the third highest on record, behind 1990 and 1992.The 53rd WRS deployed to Hawaii three times to fly Hurricanes Hector, Lane and Olivia. They also flew Hurricanes Rosa and Willa in the eastern Pacific, both of which made landfall in Mexico.While the 2018 hurricane season has ended, the mission of the 53rd WRS has not. From Nov. 1 to March 31, the squadron flies winter storms off the East and West Coast of the U.S. and in the Gulf of Mexico. They will also conduct atmospheric river reconnaissance missions in early 2019, to collect data to determine atmospheric moisture content that pushes into the West Coast of the U.S. each winter season, which assists flooding forecasts. In between flying winter storms, atmospheric river missions, and training missions, the squadron will be preparing for the 2019 hurricane season, calibrating their weather instruments to ensure they are ready for Mother Nature’s next meteorological show of force.hurricane hunters 



Reserve 



season 



53rd WRS 



403rd Wing 



Keesler AFB 



NOAA 



weather 



reconnaissance 



National Hurricane Center 



AF 



Air Force Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                SecAF, CSAF, CMSAF begin Indo-Pacific trip focused on ACE
                    
                    DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fightInnovation
                F-16s arrive to be modified for autonomous testing
                    
                    AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalistsMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil