All-female hurricane hunter flight crew makes history as Dorian strengthens

Three women became the first to pilot a NOAA reconnaissance flight.

ByKelly McCarthy
August 30, 2019, 9:17 AM

This group of pilots made history as Hurricane Dorian strengthens and takes aim at Florida.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Aircraft Operations Center tweeted a photo Thursday of its first all-female flight crew on a reconnaissance mission ahead of Dorian's expected landfall in the U.S.

The photo showed Capt. Kristie Twining, Cmdr. Rebecca Waddington and Lt. Lindsey Norman aboard NOAA 49.

The three ladies flew around Hurricane Dorian to collect data over nearly seven hours, covering more than 3,600 miles.

PHOTO: This satellite image obtained from NOAA/RAMMB, shows Hurricane Dorian as it approaches the Bahamas and Florida at 11:20UTC on August 30, 2019.
This satellite image obtained from NOAA/RAMMB, shows Hurricane Dorian as it approaches the Bahamas and Florida at 11:20UTC on August 30, 2019.
Jose Romero/AFP/Getty Images

States of emergency have been issued in Florida and Georgia as residents scramble to acquire supplies before Dorian is forecast to make landfall early Tuesday as a Category 4 storm.

Forecasters predict Dorian will approach Florida with winds of 140 mph. It it makes landfall with those wind speeds, it would become just the ninth hurricane to do so, dating back to 1851.

Related Topics