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The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season officially ended Nov. 30, closing another demanding chapter for the Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the Hurricane Hunters.
The squadron flew 927.9 hours this year across the Atlantic, eastern Pacific and central Pacific basins, collecting critical data that improved forecasts, saved lives and once again demonstrated the unit's no-fail mission.
From their first flight into Hurricane Erick, June 18, to their final mission into Hurricane Melissa, Oct. 30, the 53rd WRS crews faced one of the most intense storm seasons in recent memory. This year's taskings included three Category 5 hurricanes and the second sub-900 millibar storm the squadron had flown into in as many years.
The Hurricane Hunters kicked off the season when a WC-130J Super Hercules aircrew departed Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, for Hurricane Erick in the eastern Pacific. That marked the first operational flight of the 2025 season and the start of what forecasters predicted would be an active year for tropical systems.
"Our job is to fly directly into the storm and collect vital information such as wind speeds, pressure, temperature and humidity," said Air Force 1st Lt. Mark McCoy, 53rd WRS aerial reconnaissance weather officer. "While satellites provide a significant amount of information, the data we gather within the storm is unique and cannot be captured from space. That information helps the National Hurricane Center refine forecasts and gives people more time to prepare."
The squadron, assigned to the 403rd Wing, is the only War Department unit that flies into tropical systems to gather real-time atmospheric data. Using a fleet of 10 WC-130J Super Hercules aircraft, the squadron operates year-round and is prepared to support 24-hour operations during the peak of hurricane season. Data from their flights is transmitted in real time to the National Hurricane Center and shared with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Navy and other domestic and international forecasting agencies.
"Every time we fly into a storm, we're collecting data that can directly impact how communities prepare and respond," said Air Force Lt. Col. Steve Burton, 53rd WRS director of operations and the deployed detachment commander. "We train all year for this. What we do helps save lives and property."
According to Warren Madden from the National Hurricane Center, the squadron's 2025 missions were defined not by quantity, but by intensity.
In the Atlantic basin, the squadron flew into Hurricanes Barry, Chantal, Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Imelda, Jerry and Melissa, as well as an early August flight in the northern Gulf of America and another in late August near the Windward Islands. In the eastern Pacific, crews flew into Hurricanes Erick and Lorena, and in the central Pacific they supported missions into Hurricane Kiko.
"What was unusual this year was the overall lack of activity in both the Gulf and in the Caribbean," Madden said. "We only flew one named storm in the Gulf — Barry — along with two northern Gulf . Chantal was the only system that produced direct wind impacts to the continental U.S., and Melissa was the only storm we flew in the Caribbean."
What did stand out was the strength of several storms.
"Three of the systems — Erin, Humberto and Melissa — reached Category 5 strength, and Melissa became the second sub-900 millibar storm we've flown in as many seasons," Madden said, referencing 2024's Hurricane Milton. "That level of intensity in consecutive years is rare."
The Hurricane Hunters' most demanding mission of 2025 came late in the season, when Tropical Storm Melissa rapidly intensified over the Caribbean. On Oct. 21, the 53rd WRS deployed aircraft to a forward operating location in Curaçao, positioning closer to the system as it strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane. Over a seven-day period, the squadron flew 17 missions and 170 flight hours into Melissa, conducting around-the-clock operations to support National Hurricane Center forecasts.
Flying Super Hercules aircraft at roughly 10,000 feet, the crews penetrated Melissa's eye two to four times per mission, releasing equipment that measured temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, and barometric pressure from the aircraft down to the ocean surface.
"That information was delivered directly to the National Hurricane Center to improve forecast accuracy as Melissa intensified," Burton said.
The deployment took place during a federal government shutdown, which complicated travel, funding and coordination.
"Despite the administrative hurdles, our Hurricane Hunters continued operations uninterrupted, ensuring forecasters received the critical data needed to protect lives," said Air Force Col. Jaret Fish, 403rd Wing commander. "Our airmen demonstrated the flexibility and dedication that make the reserve force vital to the nation's readiness."
Burton said the shutdown only underscored the team's professionalism and focus.
"Even with the challenges, our crews stayed focused," Burton said. "We knew communities were already feeling Melissa's impact. Every data point we gathered fed into forecasts that helped officials make lifesaving decisions. That's why we do this mission."
Hurricane Melissa devastated the Caribbean with 185-mph winds, torrential rain and flooding, with Jamaica being the hardest hit and suffering widespread destruction and infrastructure failures. The United Nations and U.S. State Department estimate $6 billion to $7 billion in damage to Jamaica, deadly flooding and landslides in Haiti, coastal flooding in Cuba, and at least 90 deaths across the region, including 45 in Jamaica, where Melissa made landfall near New Hope, Oct. 28.
By staging out of Curaçao, the Hurricane Hunters reduced flight time to the storm's center, enabling more frequent eye penetrations and higher-density equipment coverage during Melissa's peak intensity. That increased cadence provided near real-time data that helped forecasters and emergency managers issue more accurate warnings and evacuation guidance.
With the last scheduled hurricane mission completed Oct. 30, the Hurricane Hunters spent November transitioning to winter storm reconnaissance operations in support of the National Winter Season Operations Plan. These atmospheric river missions collect data over the Pacific Ocean to help predict heavy rainfall and flooding events that affect the western U.S.
"The hurricane season may be over, but our mission never really stops," Fish said. "Whether it's tropical cyclones or atmospheric rivers, our airmen deliver data that directly supports national preparedness and disaster response."
From the first flight into Erick to the last eyewall penetration of Melissa, the 53rd WRS's 2025 season reaffirmed the critical role of manned reconnaissance in weather forecasting.
"Our crews flew nearly 850 hours this season through some of the most intense storms on record," Fish said. "Their work saves lives, protects property and provides the science that forecasters rely on every day. We're proud of what they accomplished."
