FLYING INTO THE EYE OF A HURRICANE | EYE OF THE HURRICANE | MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HURRICANES | HURRICANE SURVIVAL TIPS | HURRICANE PATHS

EYE OF THE HURRICANE

The brave "hurricane hunters" work for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Each mission lasts about ten hours, with the crews passing four to six times through the storm. The planes carry radar, sophisticated computers, and weather instruments that determine characteristics such as temperature, air pressure, wind speed, and wind direction inside the hurricane. The crews also release instruments that measure temperature, air pressure, and wind at different levels as the devices drop through the hurricane toward the ocean.

By mission's end, NOAA can warn everyone in the hurricane's path. "We love flying into hurricanes," says Kenul. "What we do helps a lot of people." Plus it's like getting all the free "roller coaster rides" they can take!

PILE IT ON
A hurricane's strongest winds are in the eye wall, dense clouds surrounding the center of the storm

OUT OF GAS
Storm surge, a huge dome of water up to 100 miles (161 kilometers) wide and 20 feet (6.1 meters) high, often floods hurricane-hit coastlines.

SHIP TO SHORE
A typical hurricane is 300 miles (483 kilometers) wide with an eye, or calm center, of 20 to 40 miles (32 to 64 kilometers) across.