Hurricane Hunters Track Ike

A WC-130J Hurricane Hunter takes off for a mission into the eye of Hurricane Ike. With the exception of two palletized weather stations, the WC-130J is not modified for missions into hurricanes and other troical weather. The aircraft is manned by U.S. Air Force Reservists from the 53rd Weather Reconniassance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett)

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Hurricane Hunters Track Ike

Once the six-bladed props start spinning, it's time for Weather Reconnaissance Loadmaster, Tech. Sgt. Scott Blair, to board and ensure the aircraft is closed up tight before takeoff. Sergeant Blair, a Reservist with the Hurricane Hunters, is responsible for the safety of the aircraft and is also tasked with launching and gathering weather data through the use of an instrument called a dropsonde. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett)

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While the aircrew briefs for a mission into Hurricane Ike, news media representatives document the moment. The crew of Reservists left with reporters from the Associated Press, WKRG and WVTM onboard at 10:30 a.m. to locate the center of Ike and to gather data used by forecasters at the National Hurricane Center to better predict the path and intensity of storms. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett)

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Hurricane Hunters Track Ike

Waiting for pilots to start the engines, Tech. Sgt. Scott Blair, weather reconnaissance loadmaster, checks over the WC-130J Hurricane Hunter aircraft before departing for a mission into the eye of Hurricane Ike. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett)

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Hurricane Hunters Track Ike

Published Sept. 10, 2008
By Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett
403rd Wing Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Barreling toward the Texas Coast, Hurricane Ike is regaining strength as officials along the Texas coast began evacuations of the first of millions of residents in the forecast path of the storm.

Warm Gulf waters contributed to renewed strength for Hurricane Ike after it passed over Cuba during the night. Hurricane Hunters were in the storm pinpointing the center and sending flight-level and surface-level readings back to the National Hurricane Center via satellite.

Citizen Airmen of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, charged with flying directly into the eye of nature's most powerful storms, continue around-the-clock flights into Ike giving forecasters at the NHC the best possible data.

Hurricane Ike, now a Category 2 on the Safir-Simpson Scale, is a large tropical cyclone and is expected to intensify before making landfall Saturday morning. Already the storm has killed 80 people in the Caribbean and took a significant toll on parts of Cuba, especially areas previously affected by Hurricane Gustav. At this time the storm has hurricane force winds extending outward up to 80 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extending to 205 miles, according to the NHC.

The latest reports from the Hurricane Hunters show the storm is strengthening with the minimum central pressure dropping and surface winds increasing.

Residents in the projected path and near those regions are urged to pay close attention to government and news sources in their areas for critical watches and warnings.