53. Weather Reconnaissance Squadron “Hurricane Hunters” prepare for the 2025 season

Pine Belt, Miss. (WDAM) – In 2024 the hurricane hunters flew over 100 missions and prepare for the start of the season on June 1st.

The beginning of the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane season is only a few weeks away, and the men and women who risk their lives and work around the clock in the event of storms are preparing on the flies.

The 53rd weather reconnaissance squadron of the Keesler Air Force Base is a unique organization.

The hurricane hunters consist of 40 pilots, 20 navigators and weather officers who fly directly into the eye of hurricanes and other heavy storms as components of the 403.

In the past 80 years, the hurricane hunters have patrolled the sky in the event of storm events and pursued the intensity and its path of each individual.

“The data we collect are sent back to the forecastics in real time and are introduced to the weather forecast so that they improve these models and both the route and the intensity, and the emergency managers can take measures and let them all know when it is time to evacuate when they are down and where the storm is head.” Captain Amanda Nelson, a flight meteorologist, says.

In the past ten years, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Whithee has worked through some of the heaviest storms as navigator when they collect information for the National Hurricane Center.

In the past ten years, Whithee has noticed how technological progress can contribute to storm preparation.

“We now have iPads that have a digital air bag, and we can also use the weather resources that are available via the iPad. We cannot get a live data in real time above the water, but we can download a considerable amount of information before we can fly with the flying over.

An upcoming addition to the technology in the aircraft will be a player to regain data for the 2025 season quickly.

“We get broadband internet on the aircraft so that we can be able to do what our radar presentation has in real time with the National Weather Service in Miami, since these forecastics can tell much more about the storm when you can see what is going on in real time,” says Oberstleutnant Sean Cross, Choach of Public Safety and 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squonnaissance Squonnaissance squonna squonnaissance squonna squonnaissance squonna squonnaissancon pilot.

Lieutenant Colonel Cross also says that the work does not stop when the Atlantic Hurricane season is completed on November 30th and that his team will enter into its winter operations.

Colorado State forecast 17 storms named for the season of the Atlantic Hurricane 2025.

In 2024, the hunters flew over 107 missions in 12 of the 18 storms mentioned and are ready to go when the 2025 hurricane season begins on June 1st.

Would you like more WDAM 7 messages in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Copyright 2025 WDAM. All rights reserved.