Hurricane Hunters hit skies early

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. – The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters flew WC-130J Hercules aircraft to check out the first storm of the 2015 hurricane season, Tropical Storm Ana. Ana made landfall May 11 near Myrtle Beach, S.C., and was quickly downgraded to a tropical depression. The Hurricane Hunters flew six sorties into the storm. Hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. It's not uncommon for a storm to form before the season begins, according to Maj. Douglas Gautrau, a 53rd WRS aerial reconnaissance weather officer. (Source: AFNS, 05/11/15)