Dec. 3, 2024 Hurricane Hunters wrap up active 2024 season The 2024 Atlantic and Pacific hurricane seasons ended Nov. 30, marking the end of another active season for the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron at Keesler Air Force Base.
April 26, 2024 AF Week in Photos This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.
April 22, 2024 Caribbean outreach mission promotes hurricane preparedness Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters and NOAA forecasters visited four Caribbean locations April 16-20 as part of the annual Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour.
Sept. 30, 2022 Hurricane Hunters fly last mission into Ian The unit flew weather reconnaissance missions around the clock for more than a week into Hurricane Ian to gather vital weather data for National Hurricane Center forecasts.
Oct. 30, 2021 Hurricane Hunters testing new SATCOM capabilities The aerial reconnaissance weather officer sits adjacent, quality checking the figures from the dropsonde, as it plummets to the ocean’s surface, and from the stepped frequency microwave radiometer attached to the wing of the aircraft.
July 8, 2021 Hurricane Hunters wrap up Elsa recon ahead of landfall The Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters wrapped up their aerial reconnaissance efforts for Tropical Storm Elsa, July 7, after the storm made landfall on the northwest coast of Florida.
Dec. 17, 2020 Hurricane Hunters hunt first winter storm of the season As of Nov. 1, the winter storm season began, and the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron took off for their first tasking of the season Dec. 15.
Dec. 2, 2020 403rd Wing weathers record storm season A historical hurricane season means a packed schedule for the Air Force Reserve’s 403rd Wing and their 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron “Hurricane Hunters.” Throw in a pandemic and four evacuations and this season was one of the busiest for the Reserve Airmen.
Aug. 24, 2020 403rd Wing evacuates aircraft, continues to fly Hurricane Marco, Tropical Storm Laura The wing’s 815th Airlift Squadron, a tactical airlift unit, flew their C-130J Super Hercules to Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, and the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, or Hurricane Hunters, relocated their WC-130Js and operations to Atlantic Aviation Charleston International Airport, South
May 27, 2020 Hurricane Hunters participate in online National Tropical Weather Conference The event is a national forum where experts in tropical meteorology inform media and business members about hurricane preparedness so they can better prepare their communities for when a hurricane threatens, said Alex Garcia, NTWC director and the Storm Science Network’s president and chief
May 18, 2020 Hurricane Hunters fly first mission of 2020 Atlantic season The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, the only Department of Defense organization that flies weather reconnaissance, is expected to fly into Invest 90L throughout the weekend to provide weather data by satellite communication to the National Hurricane Center in Miami to improve their computer
Dec. 3, 2019 53rd WRS reflects on 2019 hurricane season The 2019 hurricane season officially ended Nov. 30, and was an active one for the Reserve Airmen of the 53rd WRS, widely known as the Hurricane Hunters.
Nov. 19, 2019 NOAA, NHC visit 53rd WRS Hurricane Hunters On Nov. 13 and 14, the Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters hosted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hurricane Hunters and representatives from the NHC, National Center for Atmospheric Research and the Chief, Aerial Reconnaissance Coordination
Sept. 9, 2019 Hurricane Hunters finish flying Dorian Operations began with three WC-130J aircrafts and one C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the 403rd Wing departing Keesler Air Force Base, Aug. 25, for Curaçao to provide weather reconnaissance support of what was then Tropical Storm Dorian.
Aug. 29, 2019 Hurricane Hunters fly Hurricane Dorian Due to a lack of radar and weather balloons availability over the Atlantic Ocean, the 53rd WRS flies into the storms, gathers the data and provides this data to the NHC to assist with their forecasts and storm warnings by transmitting the information gathered via satellite communication
June 3, 2019 Reserve Airmen hunt hurricanes This specialized unit of Reserve Airmen is made up of a five-person crew consisting of a pilot, co-pilot, navigator, aerial reconnaissance weather officer and loadmaster who is also the dropsonde operator.
May 14, 2019 Building a weather-ready nation The purpose of the tour is to help create a weather-ready nation by raising awareness for the upcoming hurricane season occurring June 1 – Nov. 30, with an emphasis this year on raising awareness about inland flooding.
Feb. 5, 2019 Hurricane Hunters fly Atmospheric Rivers In November 2018, California experienced one of its most destructive fires with more than 150,000 acres burned, 18,000 homes destroyed, over 80 deaths, and with the winter rainfall season ahead, heavy rain can bring flooding and mudslides.
Oct. 11, 2018 Hurricane Hunters inside eye as Michael makes landfall The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron started flying into Hurricane Michael Oct. 7 and over the next four days observed it intensify from a possible tropical depression to a Category 4 storm, which made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida, at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 10.
Sept. 17, 2018 US Naval Academy tests waters with Hurricane Hunters When the subject of summer internships comes up, thoughts of fetching coffee and doing paperwork or answering phone calls come to mind.What does not come to mind is working 10,000 feet in the air in an Air Force Reserve WC-130J Hercules flying through a hurricane for the sake of research.
Sept. 14, 2018 Hurricane Florence edges closer to East Coast, Hurricane Hunters continue reconnaissance As the storm moves closer to the East Coast, members of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron continue flying through Hurricane Florence from the Air Dominance Center, Combat Readiness Training Center, Savannah, Georgia.
Sept. 12, 2018 Hurricane Hunters fly Florence, conduct search and rescue Members of the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron assisted the U.S. Coast Guard with a search and rescue mission Sept. 11, locating a white 41-foot Bali sailing catamaran after completing their mission for Hurricane Florence.The vessel was making a trans-Atlantic voyage
Aug. 23, 2018 Hurricane Hunters fly Hurricane Lane as storm targets Hawaiian Islands The Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters are continuing to monitor Hurricane Lane which is projected to hit the main Hawaiian Islands the afternoon of Aug. 23. The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squdron, based out of Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, began flying into Hurricane Lane out of the
July 12, 2018 Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters assist with monsoon research The U.S. Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron spent part of June in Sri Lanka flying missions over the Indian Ocean as part of a research project to study the island’s atmosphere and predict monsoon patterns.
July 9, 2018 Hurricane Hunters fly Tropical Storms Beryl, Chris The Air Force Reserve’s Hurricane Hunters spent the weekend flying weather reconnaissance missions into Tropical Storm Chris off the North Carolina coastline and Tropical Storm Beryl in the Caribbean Sea to gather data for the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
May 15, 2018 Prepare now for hurricane season Hurricane season begins June 1 and now is the time to prepare. To promote this message, an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircrew with their WC-130J Super Hercules and a team of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hurricane experts visited five Gulf Coast cities as part of this
April 2, 2018 Women of Weather: Hurricane Hunters make a difference Those goals became reality for Maj. Ashley Lundry, an aerial reconnaissance weather officer, and Maj. Devon Meister, a pilot, both members of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, referred to as the Hurricane Hunters, a unit in the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.
March 1, 2018 Hurricane Hunters complete atmospheric river reconnaissance Much like a river on the ground carries water in streams through the earth, an atmospheric river carries water vapor in streams through the sky.
Jan. 14, 2018 Their continuing mission: Hurricane Hunters gather data for winter storms For members of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, also known as the Hurricane Hunters, the hurricane tasking is only one part of their overall data-gathering mission. Hurricane Hunters track winter storms off the East and West Coast of the United States and in the Gulf of Mexico. While the
Dec. 4, 2017 Hurricane Hunters discuss atmospheric river missions with Scripps scientists Members of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron “Hurricane Hunters” met with scientists from the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography Nov. 29, 2017, to discuss plans for participating in atmospheric river reconnaissance missions in early 2018.
Nov. 30, 2017 Hurricane Hunters close intense 2017 season As massive spirals of lightning, wind and rain, hurricanes are some of the most dangerous and destructive forces in nature. And the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters fly directly into the center of them.
Aug. 25, 2017 Hurricane Hunters track Harvey Harvey began as a scattered collection of clouds drifting across the Atlantic Ocean and in just over a week has developed into a category two hurricane.
June 5, 2017 Hurricane Hunters take part in Navy operational demonstration While their typical mission is gathering weather data for the National Hurricane Center, the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron “Hurricane Hunters” spent May 30 to June 1, 2017, providing weather information for the Navy’s first Gulf of Mexico oceanography unmanned systems operational
May 3, 2017 Hurricane Hunters prepare the Caribbean More than 20,000 people attended the Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour hosted April 24-29, 2017 by the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron “Hurricane Hunters” and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
April 19, 2016 Hurricane Hunters promote preparedness in Caribbean, Latin America The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron "Hurricane Hunters" and the National Weather Service's National Hurricane Center partnered together to promote hurricane preparedness during the Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour (CHAT) April 9-17.
Feb. 28, 2016 Hurricane Hunters fly research missions into atmospheric rivers The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, “Hurricane Hunters,” spent Feb. 11-24 flying through "atmospheric rivers" in the Pacific Ocean stretching from Hawaii to U.S. West Coast in efforts to improve storm predictions.
Jan. 25, 2016 Hurricane Hunters gather forecast data on record-breaking blizzard The Hurricane Hunters of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flew a different kind of mission from Keesler Air Force Base Jan. 22 to gather data on the blizzard that hit the Eastern Seaboard.
June 24, 2015 Tech Report: Dropsonde The Hurricane Hunters of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron use a cool piece of tech called a “dropsonde” to help forecast hurricanes and other tropical storms.
May 11, 2015 ‘Hurricane Hunters’ fly Ana in early support of 2015 season Aircrews from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron "Hurricane Hunters" flew their WC-130J Hercules off the southeast coast of the U.S. in support of the first storm mission of the 2015 hurricane season, Tropical Storm Ana.
Aug. 4, 2014 Hurricane Hunters fly into Tropical Storm Bertha Aircrew members from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters have been flying data-gathering missions into Tropical Storm Bertha out of the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix, part of the U.S. Virgin Islands since July 31.
Dec. 16, 2013 'Hurricane Hunters' end one of calmest seasons on record Nov. 30 marked the end of hurricane season, and the 403rd Wing's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron closed up shop at their forward operating location at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix, part of the U.S. Virgin Islands.Known as the "Roll Up," 403rd Wing reservists spent Dec. 9 through