Tracking the Storm

You may print these instructions before starting this activity.

If you have not downloaded a copy of NIH Image (MAC) (version 1.62 or later) or the Scion Corp. (PC) image, do so now. Install the software onto your hard drive.

The 53rd Weather Recon Squadron based at Keesler AFB on the Mississippi coast works with the National Hurricane Center in tracking and providing information concerning developing tropical events in the Atlantic basin. You may join this group of aviators as they are briefed for their mission into Hurricane Opal (note: due to web-site changes the current mission (08/30/07) is into Hurricane Dennis.

They will be flying their WC-130 aircraft at 10,000 ft. Upon completing the brief and flight with the hurricane hunters, close out the window and return to this page to continue your tasking.

The briefing the pilots of the 53rd Weather Recon Squadron received at Keesler AFB, requires them to fly their plane into the eye of Hurricane Opal at 10,000 feet. The position of the storm is expected to be at 23 degrees North and 92 degrees West, headed in a North-Eastern direction by the time the WC-130 (fact sheet) makes its first run into the hurricane's eye.

Use Map "A" (tif - opal.tif.sit / jpg) or Map "B" tif - hurricanemap.tif.sit / gif for any tracking that needs to be accomplished. Map "A" has a larger scale and is used in the Ocean Drifter Program. If you use Map "A" be sure to calibrate the measurement scale of NIH to the given printed scale of the map. If using Map "B", 23 pixels is equal to 113 Km or 112 pixels equal 305 nautical miles. Since NIH Image only works with .tif images, all .tif files will be provided in a compressed format. To uncompress these files, use the software application Aladdin Stuffit Expander, available as a free download from the company's web site.

• Pensacola - located at 30 degrees 21 min, north / 87 degrees 19 min west

• Keesler AFB - located at 30 degrees 25 min. North / 88 degrees 55 min. West

• Aircraft fuel - 65,000 pounds

• Rate of fuel consumption - 4,000 pounds/hr

• Cruising speed of 300 kts/hr

• 112 pixels equals a distance of 305 nautical miles using Map "B".

• Take off time is 1230 Zulu (0630 CDT) on Oct 1st.

• Assuming that the aircraft intercepts the eye of the hurricane at the designated coordinates stated at the left, at what time can you expect the first eye-wall penetration? The next 2 penetrations will be at 1530, and 1830 Zulu, at 10,000 feet

• Hurricane Opal is traveling a steady 8.0 mph straight toward Pensacola from the indicated coordinates.

This mission, should you decide to accept will require you to analyze Hurricane Opal from multiple perspectives. These are:

• from the perspective of the Air Force personnel flying the hurricane hunters.
• from the perspective of homeowners who live in low lying ocean surge areas
• from the perspective of the meteorologists who must keep everyone informed
• from the perspective of emergency management personnel who must oversee a safe evacuation of the coast.

All questions are provided to help you focus upon a specific area concerning this storm. At the conclusion of this study a one page written report must be prepared by your group for FEMA concerning the effects this storm may have on the coast. A forms page will be provided for this task.