Hurricane forecasts have traditionally focused on predicting a storm's track and intensity. The track and size of the storm determine which areas may be hit. To do so, forecasters use models - essentially software programs, often run on large computers. What's more, several empirical factors in the forecast models are either determined under laboratory conditions or in isolated field experiments. That means that they may not necessarily fully represent the current weather event.

	FSU postdoctoral researcher Heather Holbach poses in front of a NOAA WP-3D research plane, which is specially outfitted for hurricane hunting.

When powerful hurricanes emerge from the churn of ocean and atmospheric flux to menace coastal communities, officials will often urge vulnerable populations to gather their valuables and take flight.  But for some daring scientists, the idea of "taking flight" in the face of a looming hurricane means something entirely different. Heather Holbach, a postdoctoral researcher in FSU's Center for Ocean and Atmospheric Prediction Studies, is one such scientist. When a hurricane thrashes its way through the warm waters of the Atlantic or Caribbean, she and her colleagues at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration collect their sophisticated storm monitoring tools, board a Lockheed WP-3D research plane and knife their way through the storm and into the eye, making high-resolution observations along the way that provide critical information to storm forecasters.Holbach has been hurricane hunting for five years, including a recent flight through the devastating Hurricane Florence. She spoke to news.fsu.edu about her experiences studying these mighty storms up close.