by Francis Jock

Created on: July 09, 2008

Hurricanes are the most feared weather phenomena known to exist around the world. Occurring during the hot summer months, these tropical storms are referred to by different names: hurricanes, typhoons, and Willy-Willy's. Scientists and researchers have studied them for decades, and feeble attempts to modify the behavior of these incredibly powerful monsters have yet to yield any measurable success.

As a result of technical advances in satellite observation and on-site investigation by military and government researchers, the basic structure of a hurricane is now understood. Moisture laden winds swirl into the low-pressure center at higher and higher speeds. There they accelerate upwards in a chimney effect, releasing their heat energy and moisture in rotating bands of extreme thunderstorms. Inside the eye of the storm, however, the air is calm, although the air pressure can be quite low. The raging waters below the storm surge upwards inside the eye and push outwards in advance its path. Taken altogether, the rotating high winds, the mountainous storm surge and the raging waters wreak widespread havoc on everything in its path.

Not all hurricanes are alike, however. It is true that they can vary greatly in strength, as indicated by their classification according to the Saffir-Simpson scale. Category One storms are tropical depressions that have reach a wind velocity exceeding 74 miles per hour. On the other end of the scale, a Category Five hurricane will have winds upwards of 150 mph. Anyone that thinks they can survive the vicious onslaught of a storm of this strength is either foolish, delusional, or both. Category 5 storms have been a rare occurrence in the past, at least until global warming began to have an effect on the weather.

In the late night during the month of August, 1969, Crew 2 of the Navy's Hurricane Hunter Squadron, VW-4, investigated a tropical storm that had formed off the Yucatan. The squadron's aircraft consisted of six Lockheed Super Constellations, modified with powerful long-range search radar, Doppler and height-finding radar systems. With their rotating antennas housed inside huge fiberglass domes mounted on top and bottom of the aircraft, the elegant "Connie" took on a somewhat mysterious appearance, although they remained quite flight-worthy and were proven veterans of many hurricane and typhoon penetrations.

Inside the aircraft, the Crew's Combat Information Officer and Aerographers studied the radar's glowing green display, as successive

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