WASHINGTON D.C., United States, Friday April 10, 2015, CMC – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says hurricane forecasters have embarked on a preparedness mission to the Caribbean as the region prepares for the 2015 Atlantic Hurricane season that begins on June 1.
NOAA says it will collaborate with the US Air Force Reserve to host a series of events, including tours aboard an Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft.
NOAA said that the team that includes US National Hurricane Center Director Rick Knabb “will educate residents of vulnerable communities about hurricane preparedness”.
It said tours of the Air Force Reserve Command’s WC-130J “Hurricane Hunter” will offer an opportunity to learn how scientists collect hurricane information.
“This tour is a crucial opportunity to work with our partners in Mexico and throughout the Caribbean to prepare for the next hurricane and reduce the human and economic toll,” Knabb said.
He said the air crews fly 10 state-of-the-art WC-130J aircraft directly into the core of tropical cyclones to gather data that are critical for forecasting a hurricane’s intensity and landfall.
The eastern North Pacific hurricane season starts May 15, while the central North Pacific and Atlantic basin hurricane season begins June 1.
