For the first time in more than a decade, the Marathon Airport played host to the massive engines and wingspan of a C-130J Hurricane Hunter aircraft on April 14, welcoming public officials, school groups and Monroe County residents for tours. The customized transport plane is used by the U.S. Air Force Reserve to fly reconnaissance missions through tropical storms and hurricanes, gathering crucial data to aid the National Weather Service in accurately forecasting storms and keeping civilians safe.
The plane paid a visit as a stop on NOAA’s Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour, bringing together forecasters from the National Hurricane Center, the National Weather Service Key West forecast office and aircraft crew members on stops around the U.S., Caribbean and Central America.
“We’ve made improvements to products and services and forecasting hurricanes in recent years, and a lot of it is due to the data collected by these aircraft you see behind me and the hurricane hunters,” said National Hurricane Center director Michael Brennan. “They give us more confidence than ever.
“This is the time to prepare for the hurricane season, regardless of what you might hear about seasonal forecasts and how many storms there might be in the Atlantic.”
For a complete guide to hurricane preparedness, as well as a deeper dive into the Hurricane Hunter aircraft’s capabilities, see the upcoming Keys Weekly Hurricane Guide, published this June. Hurricane season in the Florida Keys runs from June 1 to November 30 each year.
Photos by ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly
