Hurricanes at Landfall

Hurricanes at Landfall Experiment

The Hurricanes at Landfall (HaL) experiment successfully intercepted Hurricane Georges as it made landfall along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast. Numerous data platforms were deployed for this intercept and included:

WP-3D aircraft (NOAA/HRD)
Mobile Mesonet (NOAA/NSSL & OU)
Portable 10-m wind tower (OU & CG, Inc.)
Portable 10-m wind tower (TTU)
Portable wind profiler (UAH)
Doppler on Wheels (OU)

Mobile Mesonet vehicles
This was the first attempt to measure winds, temperature, humidity, and pressure at the surface (3-meter level) within a hurricane using the OU and NOAA/NSSL mobile mesonets vehicles (MM). As the images below show, we were extremely successful.

Thumbnail images of the Mobile Mesonets and the Tower

Mobile mesonets, portable wind tower, and support vehicle at the beach in Pass Christian, Miss., on 9/24/98.

Mobile mesonet (Probe 3) collecting data near Pensacola, Florida, as the first rain band moves onshore on 9/24/98.

Mobile mesonet (Probe 3) collecting data at the Mississippi Travel Center on I-10 on 9/27/98.

Combined tracks of both Probe3 and Probe 4 for the period 980926/1200 through 980928/2100 UTC.

Radar Images

Thumbnail images of the Radar and Mobile Mesonet data

As Hurricane Georges came ashore during the morning of 28 September 1998, an array of instruments was positioned along the coast from the Louisiana delta to eastern Mississippi to capture data. The heavy black line indicates the track taken by Probe 3.

Image of Hurricane Georges at 1230 UTC 28 September 1998. Inset rectangles refer to zoomed-in images shown below.

Velocity image of Hurricane Georges at 1230 UTC 28 September 1998. Approximately the same scale as image above. Velocity scale is shown at left.

Image of Hurricane Georges at 1230 UTC with Mobile Mesonet data overlain. The MM travelled from east to west through the eyewall and entered the northern portion of the eye.

Zoomed-in image of Hurricane Georges at 1230 UTC with Mobile Mesonet data overlain.

Mobile Mesonet plots

Additional images of the Mobile Mesonet data

Mobile mesonet data collected during the period 12-13 UTC along I-10.

Mobile mesonet data collected during the period 13-14 UTC along I-10, SR-609, and US-90 clearly shows the circulation and the light winds in the eye of the storm.

Thumbnail images of the Mobile Mesonets and the Tower
	Mobile mesonets, portable wind tower, and support vehicle at the beach in Pass Christian, Miss., on 9/24/98.
	Mobile mesonet (Probe 3) collecting data near Pensacola, Florida, as the first rain band moves onshore on 9/24/98.
	Mobile mesonet (Probe 3) collecting data at the Mississippi Travel Center on I-10 on 9/27/98.
	Combined tracks of both Probe3 and Probe 4 for the period 980926/1200 through 980928/2100 UTC.

Thumbnail images of the Radar and Mobile Mesonet data
	As Hurricane Georges came ashore during the morning of 28 September 1998, an array of instruments was positioned along the coast from the Louisiana delta to eastern Mississippi to capture data. The heavy black line indicates the track taken by Probe 3.
	Image of Hurricane Georges at 1230 UTC 28 September 1998. Inset rectangles refer to zoomed-in images shown below.
	Velocity image of Hurricane Georges at 1230 UTC 28 September 1998. Approximately the same scale as image above. Velocity scale is shown at left.
	Image of Hurricane Georges at 1230 UTC with Mobile Mesonet data overlain. The MM travelled from east to west through the eyewall and entered the northern portion of the eye.
	Zoomed-in image of Hurricane Georges at 1230 UTC with Mobile Mesonet data overlain.

Additional images of the Mobile Mesonet data
	Mobile mesonet data collected during the period 12-13 UTC along I-10.
	Mobile mesonet data collected during the period 13-14 UTC along I-10, SR-609, and US-90 clearly shows the circulation and the light winds in the eye of the storm.

Notes on Hurricane Georges Intercept

Some of my notes on the Hurricane Georges intercept are available for reading.

Acknowledgments: The Probe vehicles were staffed by David Blanchard, Paul Markowski, Al Pietrycha, and Mark Hendon. The 10-m tower vehicle was staffed by Mark and Amy Askelson. An additional support vehicle was staffed by Charles Edwards, R. J. Evans, and Matt Biddle. Forecasting support was provided by Jerry Straka and Erik Rasmussen. Appreciation and thanks are extended to all for their dedicated hard work and long hours spent collecting data. We especially thank MB for his efforts coordinating with county Emergency Managers. Portions of this work were supported by NSF grants ATM-9120009 and ATM-9617318.