National Hurricane Research Laboratory
Encyclopedia
The National Hurricane Research Laboratory (NHRL) was formed in December 1964 out of the National Hurricane Research Project
, the U. S. Weather Bureau's effort to scientifically examine tropical cyclones in order to make better predictions. Laboratory status signified that this effort was now a permanent part of the Weather Bureau's activities.
Director R. Cecil Gentry supervised the move of NHRL from the Aviation Building near Miami International Airport, to the newly built Computer Center building on the University of Miami's Coral Gables campus in January 1965. They were accompanied by the Miami hurricane forecast office, and the two combined entities were known, at that time, as the National Hurricane Center
(NHC). The 1965 hurricane field program centered on researching Hurricane Betsy
. Project STORMFURY
made plans to seed Betsy to examine hurricane modification methods, but Betsy turned before entering the operational area, so instead NHRL carried out a 'dry run', in which no silver iodide was released. Confusion in communicating this change in plans to the press resulted in some people believing Betsy was seeded and that its subsequent track changes were a result of that.
No further seeding opportunities presented themselves over the next five years, so NHRL scientists concentrated on examining hurricanes in their unmodified states. Notable hurricanes that they flew experiments in include Hurricane Inez
(1966), Hurricane Beulah
(1967), and Hurricane Gladys (1968)
. They also improved on their hurricane track forecast models such as NHC-67 and SANBAR, a barotropic model developed in conjunction with Dr. Fred Sanders (MIT). They refined their models of storm circulation, and used these improved versions to test STORMFURY theories. In addition to their earlier projects, they participated in international weather research projects such as BOMEX (1969). In 1967, the 'NHC' name was claimed solely by the Miami hurricane forecast office.
Another seeding opportunity availed itself in August 1969, when Hurricane Debbie
moved into their operational area. They carried out several seedings over two days. While they were busy in Puerto Rico, Hurricane Camille rapidly intensified and struck the Gulf coast. The outfall from that devastating storm prompted improvements in the reconnaissance fleets. NHRL carried out another seeding experiment on Hurricane Ginger (1971), but it was a weak, disorganized system, and little change was noted.
Hurricane activity in the Atlantic became decidedly slower in the 1970s, and NHRL managers tried to move STORMFURY to the Pacific. That proved politically unfeasible, and the Navy and Air Force withdrew from Project STORMFURY. NHRL turned more to theoretical studies and sought improvements to its computer models. They also participated in GATE, a massive international weather experiment held off the west coast of Africa, examining disturbances which could form into hurricanes.
In 1975, the Experimental Meteorology Laboratory was enfolded into NHRL and it became known as the National Hurricane and Experimental Meteorology Laboratory (NHEML) for the next six years. NHEML engaged in several cloud modification studies as hurricane activity remained low. NHEML gained access to new Orion P-3 aircraft in 1975 and 1976 to replace the DC-6s. The new airframes also had better instrumentation, including digitized radars and cloud physics probes.
NHC and NHEML were moved from their University of Miami perch in 1978 to a nearby commercial office building. This move proved disruptive, as some archive material was lost and caused some long-time staff members to retire or resign; however, the better quality data from the P-3s was analyzed by a new generation of researchers, hired to replace those who left after the move. This resulted in improved understanding of hurricane dynamics, leading to the formulation of the eyewall replacement cycle
.
With the decline in enthusiasm for weather modification and the end of Project STORMFURY in 1983, a portion of the Experimental Meteorology scientists were transferred out of the NHEML to the former Environmental Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado
, with the remaining organization once again resuming the title of NHRL. In 1984, NHRL was renamed the Hurricane Research Division
, or HRD, of the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory
, or AOML. This meant moving the hurricane researchers from their offices co-located with the NHC out to NOAA's AOML facility, located on Virginia Key
, a barrier island located between downtown Miami and Key Biscayne
.
In August, 1992, the facility sustained moderate damage after the passage of Hurricane Andrew
, however, despite significant personal disruption of their own lives, reconnaissance flights continued into Andrew until it made a final landfall along the Louisiana coastline several days later.
During the 1990s the HRD staff continued to refine its forecasting models, and despite the retirement or transfer of several long-time key research staff members, made numerous research flights into a number of notable hurricanes of that decade, including Hurricane Opal
(1995) and Hurricane Georges
(1998).
During the disastrous 2005 hurricane season, the organization flew ongoing missions into infamous Hurricane Katrina
, which provided invaluable data that continues to be studied at their Miami facility.
National Hurricane Research Project
The National Hurricane Research Project was initiated in 1955 by theUnited States Weather Bureau in response to the devastating 1954 hurricane season, whichsaw Hurricane Carol, Hurricane Edna, and Hurricane Hazel bring destruction and...
, the U. S. Weather Bureau's effort to scientifically examine tropical cyclones in order to make better predictions. Laboratory status signified that this effort was now a permanent part of the Weather Bureau's activities.
Director R. Cecil Gentry supervised the move of NHRL from the Aviation Building near Miami International Airport, to the newly built Computer Center building on the University of Miami's Coral Gables campus in January 1965. They were accompanied by the Miami hurricane forecast office, and the two combined entities were known, at that time, as the National Hurricane Center
National Hurricane Center
The National Hurricane Center , located at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, is the division of the National Weather Service responsible for tracking and predicting weather systems within the tropics between the Prime Meridian and the 140th meridian west poleward to the 30th...
(NHC). The 1965 hurricane field program centered on researching Hurricane Betsy
Hurricane Betsy
Hurricane Betsy was a Category 4 hurricane of the 1965 Atlantic hurricane season which caused enormous damage in the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana. Betsy made its most intense landfall near the mouth of the Mississippi River, causing significant flooding of the waters of Lake Pontchartrain into...
. Project STORMFURY
Project Stormfury
Project Stormfury was an attempt to weaken tropical cyclones by flying aircraft into them and seeding with silver iodide. The project was run by the United States Government from 1962 to 1983....
made plans to seed Betsy to examine hurricane modification methods, but Betsy turned before entering the operational area, so instead NHRL carried out a 'dry run', in which no silver iodide was released. Confusion in communicating this change in plans to the press resulted in some people believing Betsy was seeded and that its subsequent track changes were a result of that.
No further seeding opportunities presented themselves over the next five years, so NHRL scientists concentrated on examining hurricanes in their unmodified states. Notable hurricanes that they flew experiments in include Hurricane Inez
Hurricane Inez
Hurricane Inez was a deadly, destructive, powerful and very long-lived Cape Verde-type hurricane that carved an erratic path through the Lesser Antilles, Hispaniola, Cuba, the Bahamas, Florida, and Mexico in 1966...
(1966), Hurricane Beulah
Hurricane Beulah
Hurricane Beulah was the second tropical storm, second hurricane, and only major hurricane during the 1967 Atlantic hurricane season. It tracked through the Caribbean, struck the Yucatán peninsula of Mexico as a major hurricane, and moved west-northwest into the Gulf of Mexico, briefly gaining...
(1967), and Hurricane Gladys (1968)
Hurricane Gladys (1968)
Hurricane Gladys was the most destructive hurricane in the 1968 Atlantic hurricane season, causing over $100 million in damage and ten deaths. The last storm of the season, it caused heavy rainfall along its path through the Western Caribbean Sea, Florida, and up through Atlantic Canada...
. They also improved on their hurricane track forecast models such as NHC-67 and SANBAR, a barotropic model developed in conjunction with Dr. Fred Sanders (MIT). They refined their models of storm circulation, and used these improved versions to test STORMFURY theories. In addition to their earlier projects, they participated in international weather research projects such as BOMEX (1969). In 1967, the 'NHC' name was claimed solely by the Miami hurricane forecast office.
Another seeding opportunity availed itself in August 1969, when Hurricane Debbie
Hurricane Debbie (1969)
Hurricane Debbie was an intense and long-lived hurricane that formed during August 1969. The fifth tropical cyclone, fourth named storm, third hurricane and second major hurricane of the 1969 Atlantic hurricane season, Debbie formed on August 14 in the southern Atlantic Ocean and took a general...
moved into their operational area. They carried out several seedings over two days. While they were busy in Puerto Rico, Hurricane Camille rapidly intensified and struck the Gulf coast. The outfall from that devastating storm prompted improvements in the reconnaissance fleets. NHRL carried out another seeding experiment on Hurricane Ginger (1971), but it was a weak, disorganized system, and little change was noted.
Hurricane activity in the Atlantic became decidedly slower in the 1970s, and NHRL managers tried to move STORMFURY to the Pacific. That proved politically unfeasible, and the Navy and Air Force withdrew from Project STORMFURY. NHRL turned more to theoretical studies and sought improvements to its computer models. They also participated in GATE, a massive international weather experiment held off the west coast of Africa, examining disturbances which could form into hurricanes.
In 1975, the Experimental Meteorology Laboratory was enfolded into NHRL and it became known as the National Hurricane and Experimental Meteorology Laboratory (NHEML) for the next six years. NHEML engaged in several cloud modification studies as hurricane activity remained low. NHEML gained access to new Orion P-3 aircraft in 1975 and 1976 to replace the DC-6s. The new airframes also had better instrumentation, including digitized radars and cloud physics probes.
NHC and NHEML were moved from their University of Miami perch in 1978 to a nearby commercial office building. This move proved disruptive, as some archive material was lost and caused some long-time staff members to retire or resign; however, the better quality data from the P-3s was analyzed by a new generation of researchers, hired to replace those who left after the move. This resulted in improved understanding of hurricane dynamics, leading to the formulation of the eyewall replacement cycle
Eyewall replacement cycle
Eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones, generally with winds greater than 185 km/h , or major hurricanes...
.
With the decline in enthusiasm for weather modification and the end of Project STORMFURY in 1983, a portion of the Experimental Meteorology scientists were transferred out of the NHEML to the former Environmental Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
, with the remaining organization once again resuming the title of NHRL. In 1984, NHRL was renamed the Hurricane Research Division
Hurricane Research Division
The Hurricane Research Division is a section of the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Miami, Florida, and is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's focus for tropical cyclone research...
, or HRD, of the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory
Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory
The Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory , a federal research laboratory, is part of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research , located in Miami, Florida...
, or AOML. This meant moving the hurricane researchers from their offices co-located with the NHC out to NOAA's AOML facility, located on Virginia Key
Virginia Key
Virginia Key is a barrier island in Miami, Florida, United States in Biscayne Bay, south of Brickell and north of Key Biscayne. It accessible from the mainland via the Rickenbacker Causeway....
, a barrier island located between downtown Miami and Key Biscayne
Key Biscayne
Key Biscayne is an island located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. It is the southernmost of the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida, and lies south of Miami Beach and southeast of Miami...
.
In August, 1992, the facility sustained moderate damage after the passage of Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
, however, despite significant personal disruption of their own lives, reconnaissance flights continued into Andrew until it made a final landfall along the Louisiana coastline several days later.
During the 1990s the HRD staff continued to refine its forecasting models, and despite the retirement or transfer of several long-time key research staff members, made numerous research flights into a number of notable hurricanes of that decade, including Hurricane Opal
Hurricane Opal
Hurricane Opal was a Category 4 hurricane that formed in the Gulf of Mexico in September 1995.Opal was the ninth hurricane and the strongest of the abnormally active 1995 Atlantic hurricane season...
(1995) and Hurricane Georges
Hurricane Georges
Hurricane Georges was a very destructive, powerful and long-lived Cape Verde-type Category 4 hurricane. Georges was the seventh tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season...
(1998).
During the disastrous 2005 hurricane season, the organization flew ongoing missions into infamous Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, which provided invaluable data that continues to be studied at their Miami facility.