Media Advisory: Hurricane Hunters promote preparedness during East Coast tour

• Published May 1, 2024
• By 403rd Wing Public Affairs
• 403rd Wing Public Affairs

With the 2024 hurricane season fast approaching, NOAA and the U.S. Air Force Reserve will host a series of events to help the communities along the East Coast prepare. Media and the public can meet NOAA hurricane experts, scientists and crew members and get a close-up look at some of the aircraft that help forecasters keep us safe - NOAA's WP-3D and the U.S. Air Force Reserve WC-130J "Hurricane Hunter." Michael Brennan, director of NOAA's National Hurricane Center (NHC), along with several hurricane specialists, will visit with residents and discuss hurricane preparedness, resilience and how they can become "weather-ready."

The Atlantic basin hurricane season begins June 1. During hurricanes, military aircrews fly state-of-the-art WC-130J aircraft directly into the core of the storm to gather critical data for forecasting a hurricane's intensity and landfall. The data are sent in real-time via satellite from the aircraft directly to NHC for analysis and use by hurricane forecasters. The NOAA WP-3D Orion turboprop aircraft is used primarily by scientists on research missions to study various elements of a hurricane, flying through the eye of the storm several times each flight.

The locations of all local airports and local times for tours are:

The following experts will be on the tour and available for media interviews:

U.S. Air Force reservists

Hurricane Hunter aircrew from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron stationed at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.

NOAA:

Michael Brennan, director, NHC

Robbie Berg, warning coordination meteorologist, NHC

Cody Fritz, storm surge specialist, NHC

David Novak, director, NOAA's Weather Prediction Center (for Albany, Norfolk, and Charleston)

Alex Lamers, warning coordination meteorologist, NOAA's Weather Prediction Center

FEMA:

Portland: Lori Ehrlich, Regional Administrator, FEMA Region 1

Albany: Anne Bink, Associate Administrator, FEMA Office of Response & Recovery

Norfolk: Deanne Criswell, FEMA Administrator

MaryAnn Tierney, Regional Administrator, FEMA Region 3

Charleston: Robert Samaan, Regional Administrator, FEMA Region 4

Sanford: Robert Samaan, Regional Administrator, FEMA Region 4

Sherman Gillums, Director, FEMA Office of Disability Integration & Coordination

Reporters who wish to reserve an interview with any of the NOAA experts may contact Maria Torres at [email protected] or 305-433-1933, for the FEMA experts please contact [email protected], and for Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters contact Lt. Col. Marnee Losurdo, U.S. Air Force Reserve, 403rd Wing Public Affairs, [email protected], (228) 377-5275.