Hurricane Irene

A WC-130J aircraft powers down after returning from the final flight into Hurricane Irene August 28. This particular mission took the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron “Hurricane Hunters” as far north as New York. To get their final fix on the storm, the crew released a dropsonde into the Hudson Bay – a first for the Hurricane Hunters. The squadron flew out of Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., for the last days of their storm mission. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens)