A Few Of FR's Finest....Every Day....05-14-03....Hurricane Hunters

dansangel; Billie

[dansangel]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

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We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, daisyscarlett, dansangel, dutchess, Mama_Bear

Hurricane Hunters

While most of us who have been through the fury of a hurricane would do everything we could to avoid bearing the brunt of its destructive energy, there are some very special individuals who purposely fly into the storm to gather data for the National Hurricane Center. They have come to be known as "Hurricane Hunters."

The Hurricane Hunters who are stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi typically fly in a WC-130 Hercules aircraft. The crew is made up of six people; the aircraft commander, pilot, flight engineer, navigator, weather officer and a dropsonde (more about that in a minute) system operator.

Hurricane season lasts from June 1 through November 30 as most residents of the East Coast and Gulf regions know all too well. Most tropical depressions that grow into full-fledged hurricanes begin their "lives" off of the coast of Africa. While travelling over the Atlantic Ocean, these tropical depressions may find conditions ripe for building up to hurricane force.

Once that happens, the Hurricane Hunters swing into action. Boarding the WC-130 Hercules and taking off on their mission, these very brave people actually fly into the storm, recording data on position, dewpoint and pressure readings every thirty seconds and beaming this information, by satellite, to the National Hurricane Center.

One of the methods used to gather this information is via a dropsonde. This device is a small canister about the size of a large "Pringles" chips can. The dropsonde acts as a "mini-weather station" and is fired out into the storm by the system operator. While the dropsonde is falling, a parachute is deployed, allowing the device to transmit important information in tandem with the weather officer's onboard computer. This data is interpreted at the National Hurricane Center so that appropriate life-saving warnings may be broadcast to those in the storm's path. In addition to helping forecasters to make accurate predictions during the course of the storm, the data also aids hurricane forecasters in their understanding of what makes such a storm "tick," improving their forecast models.

In the event that Keesler AFB is inaccessible due to a hurricane positioned in the Gulf, Charleston AFB, Patrick AFB and Homestead AFB are all alternate locations for the Hurricane Hunters. No matter where the storm is located nor how intense, the Hurricane Hunters are ever-ready to put themselves into harm's way so that lives may be saved.

May God bless and protect those that risk their lives in an effort to save ours. It is with great pleasure that I bring the "Hurricane Hunters" to a Few of FR's Finest!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 05-12-03 Military Monday 05-13-03 How Does Your Garden Grow?

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
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God Bless Our Military

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Below are names of some of our FReepers' loved ones who are serving our country. If you have someone you would like to add, please address a post to Billie; Daisyscarlett; Dansangel; Dutchess; Mama_Bear; and we will add their name to this list. As we pray for them, we pray also for all our nation’s leaders, and military personnel, and their families and friends. May God hold them close to His heart.

~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~

We ask Lord, that You guide the leaders of our great country in their hour of decision. The burden that has been placed on their shoulders is overwhelming. We ask that with Your infinite wisdom You guide them gently to the right decisions.

Please give us the strength, Lord, to get through each difficult and devastating day that faces each of us and our country. Protect and guide our Military that are now being called to duty, strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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OhioWfan........................son mystery-ak..........son, husband Gogrammy................grandson Inspectorette...................son Blessed American..........nephew Slip18..........................nephew anniegetyourgun...........nephew Pippin....niece,nephew,loved one Doug from Upland......son-in-law weldgophardline.....brotherinlaw Future Snake Eater..........cousin WaterDragon..son-in-law,grandson BeforeISleep...................son Warrior Nurse...........active duty SK1 Thurman...........active duty David Osborne.........active duty fc2tomschermuly......active duty bkwells..................active duty LadyX....................grandson LongCut..................active duty Trish.......................active duty The Mayor................niece

Maigrey................cousin ladtx....................2 sons Mama_Bear...........nephew gator girl............husband severa................husband MozartLover...........nephew LBGA........................son SpookBrat...........nephew Himyar.....................son boxerblues............2 sons the piper...................son sheeza...............husband kemathen7...........husband Diver Dave................niece deadhead................cousin JimRobinson.....2 nephews Armymarinemom.....3 sons Consort...........2 daughters Darheel..................niece dixie sass.............nephew BeAllYouCanBe.........son AgThorn.............2 sons kneezles...........son

[nicmarlo]

Morning, dixie sass! : )

[LadyX]

Growing up in Florida gave us the alternative to snowstorms of Northerners - hurricanes.
My first years were in Coral Gables, a residential area by Miami, and I remember well all the hurricane precautions. Fill the tub with water (to use to wash up, flush toilet, etc.), secure everything outside (garbage cans, lawn chairs, etc., tacky pink flamingos, if you had one..:)).

I enjoyed them as a little one, since I was allowed to stay up late and listen to the weather reports on the battery-operated radio (pre-TV days).
Inevitably, the power would go off, and I thought it was really cool to have a kerosene lamp and play endless board games with my sister.

I do have a story that predates me a bit. My father in his 20's was a Manager of Florida Power & Light facilities, and in 1928 had the one at Okeechobee.
My sister Anne was 3 when the very destructive 1928 hurricane was brewing.

To ensure their safety, the Lake Okeechobee area a sea level swampy territory, he placed Mom and Anne on a train to go to South Carolina to stay with her parents.

Surely enough, it was a monster in terms of lives lost - -

* Deadliest Hurricanes

Hurricane Year Category Deaths

*FL (Lake Okeechobee)1928 4 1836

*FL (Keys)/S TX 1919 4 600#

*FL (Keys)1935 5 408

*FL (Miami)1926 4 243

Those 1,836 deaths in 1928 resulted from the storm itself and diseases from the flooding and lack of potable water.
The number would have been greater had Daddy not had a great idea and acted swiftly.

In a day with few cars, much less trucks and no way to get planes in (which could not carry hefty loads anyway), he ordered through the government emergency water supplies to be brought in by trains early on, saving the day for many.

Side Note: Anne describes to me remembering that time well, staying right here in Barnwell, SC with our grandparents, my grandfather a minister here.

The parsonage was a two-storied house, and as she stood at the head of the stairs, the remnants of the storm had headed here, causing a huge oak to crash through the wall right at the foot of the stairs while she watched!
Safety indeed, but it nearly caused her early demise!

I've been through many a hurricane, including two at Parris Island, two in Virginia on the coast in Chincoteague (1955), and quite a few inland in North and South Carolina, as well as Florida.

Later years brought bizzards in Ohio and South Dakota and literal whiteouts in Alaska, as well as The Good Friday Earthquake there in March of 1964.

Someone once asked if I thought perhaps it could be that I trail disaster in my wake!

I report - you decide..:))

[HiJinx]

Maybe it's the other way around --

You're there before, during, and after disasters in order to help those in need...

[nicmarlo]

perhaps it could be that I trail disaster in my wake! . . . I report - you decide..:))

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Let me think about that one! : )

I certainly haven't caused any place I've lived in to have experienced a hurricane. : ) (I'm glad, too!) I once saw a water spout, though, while vacationing in Clearwater...that was amazing to watch....and so very close!

[LadyX]

How kind of you, Jinxie!

I was afraid I was the female version of Joe, the cartoon character of long ago, who had a little black cloud over his head..:))

[MeekOneGOP]

Mornin' ! :O)

[dixie sass]

The C-130's are beautiful. With hurricanes becoming bigger, harsher, and faster, their job becomes more important. The Air Force performs many important tasks here in Charleston, the C-17 flights in and out of Iraq, carrying everthing from goods, fighting equipment, and paratroopers to bringing home our civilians and military, but by far the Hurricane work is the most important effecting everyone and everything between the outer islands in the Carribean to much of the eastern seaboard.

Off we go into the wild blue yonder...

[MeekOneGOP]

hehe ! That's why I tried to fix that boo-boo quickly . . .

[MeekOneGOP]

I'm going to take you up on that second cup....Meekie, another hot chocolate, please! :-)

Caaaaaaaa-rrrrrrr-lllllll !! Another cup for the lady, please !!

Here ya go, ma'am !

For those who prefer hot chocolate.....

[Diver Dave]

You mean this joe?

[jwfiv]

Good day to our Hostesses...thank you, dansangel...I'm usually blown away by the Finest, today especially so...)

Thanks for all the good info on the noble fliers who skirt the edges of chaos...gosh, they've a lot more nerve than me, I'm such chicken.

Good morning and blessings on all Freepers...wishing you a most wonderful Wednesday.

[dixie sass]

Oh,(red face)! Patriots of the Republic is a chatroom at Paltalk. They broadcast over Mel Piots Christain Broadcasting every night Monday through Thursday, 11 est, 10 central, and 9 pacific.

We have a Molly Pitcher over there who is also a Freeper. To funny. She is from Pierce Mo. and due to the Tornadoes there hasn't been on line for about a week.

[Pippin]

Hi, (((LG)))!

I thought you found one of them icons you was looking for?

[Pippin]

LOL!

sounds like an idea.

as long as the guy picking me up is cute and single and RICH!

[Pippin]

Hi, (((Dansy)))!

[Pippin]

Hi, Molly!

[Pippin]

it's the pits!

[Pippin]

Hi, (((JW)))!

[The Thin Man]

Hi dansy! These Hurricane Hunters are quite a special breed. I know there's nothing more I'd rather do than fly into hurricanes, but unfortunately there are none in my area. What a shame. :)

[Billie]

Good morning, Sistah! I wanted to tell you what an excellent job you did on this presentation. The visuals and the content are just perfect - and so is your pledge graphic!

This is very informative and interesting, and timely, with the Hurricane Season approaching.

Hey, wonder who is in charge of naming these Hurricanes.....think we will ever see one named "Dansangel"? :)