After Hurricane Helene, which passed through the American bay of Tampa Bay two weeks ago, another stormy onslaught is rushing down on local residents. In the following hours, Hurricane Milton is expected to arrive here in full force, which is moving through the Gulf of Mexico and strengthening again from the fourth to the highest category five. The hurricane’s strength is expected to fluctuate over the next day and a half, weakening slightly to a Category 3 by the time it reaches the west coast of Florida. At these times, so-called hurricane hunters enter the scene, using special aircraft to monitor hurricanes and storms in order to predict their behavior. Check out the photo gallery to see what their work looks like.
The Lockheed WP-3D Orion is an aircraft specially modified for use at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Aircraft Operations Center. There are only two such modified aircraft, equipped with a number of functions for obtaining the most accurate weather information. It is these machines that hurricane hunters use to predict the most likely scenario of weather development.
Hurricane Helen was specific in its speed
Hurricane Helene hit Florida and the surrounding area at the end of September. According to meteorologists, he was exceptional in his speed. At one point, the Hurricane Hunters found themselves in the eye of the storm and momentarily lost control of the aircraft. “We ended up in an updraft in the wall of the eye of the hurricane, it’s called a mesovortex, and it’s a smaller circulation built into a larger circulation of air in that wall. I saw it on the radar and it was clear to me that it was not going to be pleasant,” described meteorologist Jonathan Zawislak, who commands missions to the eye, i.e. the center of the hurricane.
VIDEO: Flying things and a strong storm. Hurricane hunters in flight collecting information regarding Storm Milton
WP-3D Orion Aircraft in the Eye of the Hurricane • MechDesigh TV
“Our plane flew up almost half a kilometer in a matter of seconds. We lost a lot of speed in the process. Josh was trying to maneuver back down to our original flight level. But the hurricane just kind of does whatever it wants with the plane. We have to count on that and be ready for it,” Zawislak said.
Now another hurricane called Florida is approaching Florida and its surroundings Milton. Meteorologists warn that it will affect a larger area than expected.
MAP:Hurricane Milton over the Gulf of Mexico
A satellite image shows Hurricane Milton over the Gulf of Mexico.|Profimedia.cz
Last hours to the rescue
Residents around Tampa Bay, where Milton could be the deadliest hurricane in a century, are using the final hours to salvage property and evacuate. The highways are clogged and some gas stations have run out of fuel.
In an area of about three million people, people are also scrambling to clear up and secure the debris left by Hurricane Helene at the last minute. Authorities sent hundreds of garbage trucks there. “All these stores are going to be like missiles,” warned Nick Szabo, who was picking up soaked mattresses, couches and pieces of furniture in Clearwater Beach on Tuesday, ahead of the approaching hurricane. “It’s like having an arrow pointed at you.”
According to CNN, the seriousness of the situation is evidenced by the fact that around the cities of Tampa and Fort Myers dozens of Waffle House fast food branches, which are otherwise open 24/7, have already closed. CNN reports that the so-called Waffle House Index, compiled by a former employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), evaluates how hard a storm has hit a certain area. At the green level, restaurants are in normal operation. Although they are open in yellow, they have a limited offer. This may mean that there are power outages or potable water supplies in the area. If the red level is declared, the branch is closed completely. It means that the area has been hit the hardest.
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday urged people in the predicted path of the hurricane to leave their homes immediately. He told them that “life is at stake” and that the effects of the hurricane could be catastrophic.
