NASA and Hurricanes: Five Fast Facts

The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season starts today, June 1. Our colleagues at NOAA are predicting another active season, with an above average number of named storms. At NASA, we’re developing new technology and missions to study storm formation and impacts, including ways to understand Earth as a system.

NASA’s new Earth System Observatory will guide efforts related to climate change, disaster mitigation, fighting forest fires, and improving real-time agricultural processes – including helping to better understand Category 4 to 5 hurricanes such as Hurricane Maria, shown here in a 2017 thermal image captured by NASA’s Terra satellite. Credits: NASA

1. NASA can see storms from space.

From space, NASA can see so much more than what’s visible to the naked eye. Among NASA’s missions, NASA and NOAA have joint satellite missions monitoring storms in natural color -- what our eyes see -- as well as in other wavelengths of light, which can help identify features our eyes can’t on their own. For instance, images taken in infrared can show the temperatures of clouds, as well as allow us to track the movement of storms at night.

Hurricane Laura approaching the United States on Aug. 26, 2020. On the left, Laura is seen in infrared light by the NOAA-20 satellite, which was built and launched by NASA and is operated by NOAA. On the right, Laura is seen in natural color by NASA’s Terra satellite. Credits: NASA’s Earth Observatory

2. Satellites can see inside hurricanes in 3D.

If you’ve ever had a CT scan or X-ray done, you know how important 3D imagery can be to understanding what’s happening on the inside. The same concept applies to hurricanes. NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement mission’s radar and microwave instruments can see through storm clouds to see the precipitation structure of the storm and measure how much total rain is falling as a result of the storm. This information helps scientists understand how the storm may change over time and understand the risk of severe flooding.

For the first time in 360-degrees, this data visualization takes you inside hurricane Maria. Credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Download this video and supporting visuals from the Scientific Visualization Studio

3. We’re looking at how climate change affects hurricane behavior.

Climate change is likely causing storms to behave differently. One change is in how storms intensify: More storms are increasing in strength quickly, a process called rapid intensification, where hurricane wind speeds increase by 35 mph (or more) in just 24 hours. 

In 2020, a record-tying nine storms rapidly intensified. These quick changes in storm strength can leave communities in their path without time to properly prepare.

Researchers at NASA JPL developed a machine learning model that could more accurately detect rapidly intensifying storms.

On Aug. 25, 2020, NASA’s Terra satellite provided a visible image of the powerful Category 4 Hurricane Laura in the Gulf of Mexico. Credits: NASA Worldview 

It’s not just about how quickly hurricanes gain strength. Scientists at NASA are also looking at how climate change may be causing storms to move more slowly, which makes them more destructive. These “stalled” storms can slow to just a few miles an hour, dumping rain and damaging winds on one location at a time. Hurricane Dorian, for example, stalled over Grand Bahama and left catastrophic damage in its wake. Hurricanes Harvey and Florence experienced stalling as well, both causing major flooding.

Hurricane Dorian was photographed on Sept. 2, 2019 by astronauts on the International Space Station. Credits: ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center

4. We can monitor damage done by hurricanes. 

Hurricane Maria reshaped Puerto Rico’s forests. The storm destroyed so many large trees that the overall height of the island’s forests was shortened by one-third. Measurements from the ground, the air, and space gave researchers insights into which trees were more susceptible to wind damage.

Credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Download this video in HD formats from NASA Goddard's Scientific Visualization Studio

Months after Hurricane Maria, parts of Puerto Rico still didn’t have power. Using satellite data, NASA researchers mapped which neighborhoods were still dark and analyzed demographics and physical attributes of the areas with the longest wait for power.

Credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Download this video in HD formats from NASA Goddard's Scientific Visualization Studio

5. We help communities prepare for storms and respond to their aftermath.

The data NASA collects is available for free to the public. NASA also partners with other federal agencies, like FEMA, and regional and local governments to help prepare for and understand the impacts of disasters like hurricanes. 

In 2020, NASA’s Disasters Program provided data to groups in Alabama, Louisiana, and Central America to identify regions significantly affected by hurricanes. This helps identify vulnerable communities and make informed decisions about where to send resources.

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the NASA/NOAA Suomi NPP satellite captured the data for a mosaic of Katia, Irma, and Jose as they appeared in the early hours of September 8, 2017

Credits: NASA’s Earth Observatory

Working together with partners at NOAA, FEMA and elsewhere, NASA is ready to help communities weather another year of storms.

By Katy Mersmann

NASA's Earth Science News Team

Media Contact: Peter Jacobs, Goddard Space Flight Center

Source: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2021/nasa-and-hurricanes-five-fast-facts