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54-561: The municipality and the entire region are native American lands. The city of Puerto Cabezas borders the Community of Ten Communities. Hurricane Felix hit Puerto Cabezas on September 4, 2007, killing about 100 people. Hurricane Eta hit the city on November 3, 2020, causing extensive damage. On November 16, 2020, Hurricane Iota hit the city as a strong Category 4. Puerto Cabezas has a tropical monsoon climate ( Köppen climate classification Am ) with significant rainfall year round, and

108-777: A G-IV Gulfstream high-altitude jet above 41,000 feet (12 km) to document upper- and lower-level winds that affect cyclone movement. The computer models that forecast hurricane tracks and intensity mainly use G-IV dropsonde data collected day and night in storms affecting the United States. On September 27, 2024, NOAA announced it had awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics for two Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft configured for use as hurricane hunters to replace its aging WP-3D Orions, with service entry planned in 2030. Since 2009

162-533: A tropical storm warning was issued for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines , Tobago , and Grenada and its dependencies; a tropical storm watch was also issued for the northeastern Venezuela coast from Cumaná to Pedernales , including Isla Margarita , as well as the ABC islands . The National Emergency Management Agency of Tobago was fully activated, with 79 shelters opened on the island. Coinciding with

216-530: A Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. This also makes Felix the second-fastest intensifying Atlantic hurricane on record, just behind Wilma 2 years prior. While investigating the hurricane, Hurricane Hunters encountered extreme turbulence and potentially dangerous graupel, which forced the flight to abort the mission. Continuing quickly westward, the diameter of the eye decreased to 12 mi (19 km), and

270-502: A Category 5 hurricane for the second and final time by the morning of September 4. On September 4, Felix made landfall just south of the border between Nicaragua and Honduras , causing at least 133 deaths and hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in Central America. Because of its devastating impact on Central America, especially on Nicaragua, its name was retired after the 2007 season. A tropical wave moved off

324-464: A drowning death on a boat, impact from a fallen tree and at least one indirect death caused by medical complications after birth. There were three deaths reported in Honduras, one of which was caused by a motor vehicle accident caused by heavy rain and landslides, and two caused by flooding in the capital city of Tegucigalpa . However, hundreds of others were missing (mostly at sea), and communication

378-431: A hurricane happened in 1943 when a pilot-trainer flew into a Category 1 hurricane near Galveston, Texas on a bet. In the past, before satellites were used to find tropical storms, military aircraft flew routine weather reconnaissance tracks to detect formation of tropical cyclones. While modern satellites have improved the ability of meteorologists to detect cyclones before they form, only aircraft are able to measure

432-546: A pilot flying over the Florida Keys noticed a large cloud mass to the east and more north than it should have been. The Cuban weather service requested a plane to be sent up to find the storm, with Captain Leonard Povey volunteering. After circling, but not penetrating (his plane had an open cockpit), the storm, he confirmed the storm was located more north than originally thought and actually heading northeast. This

486-574: A short dry season in March and April. Even so, these months see an average rainfall of 48 millimetres (1.9 in) and 54 millimetres (2.1 in). The average temperature ranges from 24.5 °C (76.1 °F) in February to 27.8 °C (82.0 °F) in May. The average annual rainfall is 2,799 millimetres (110 in), while 198 days receive measurable rain during an average year. Puerto Cabezas culture

540-585: A small inner core of convection with tightly wound bands around the center, and by late on September 1 an eye feature was observed on satellite imagery. Based on reports from reconnaissance aircraft, the National Hurricane Center estimated that Felix attained hurricane status by early on September 2 while located about 155 mi (249 km) east-northeast of Bonaire . Tracking through an area of extremely low wind shear and increasingly high oceanic heat content , Felix quickly developed

594-540: A tropical cyclone, the depression was located to the south of a strong ridge , resulting in a west-northwest motion. The system maintained curved rainbands with expanding outflow , and with light wind shear and warm water temperatures the environment favored further development. Its deep convection consolidated very near the center, and shortly after passing over the island of Grenada the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Felix early at around 0900 UTC on September 1. Felix quickly strengthened as it developed

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648-525: A tropical depression as it crossed into southern Honduras, and at 0900 UTC the National Hurricane Center issued the last advisory on Felix as it began degenerating into a broad low pressure area. The remnants of Felix tracked west-northwestward over other portions of Latin America , and eventually dissipated over the Mexican state of Tabasco on September 7. Upon Felix's becoming a tropical cyclone,

702-543: A tropical storm watch was issued for Grand Cayman , and the next day a tropical storm warning was put in place on Providencia Island . A hurricane watch was issued for the Caribbean coast of Guatemala and the entire coastline of Belize at 1200 UTC on September 3. At 0300 UTC on September 3, the government of Honduras issued a hurricane watch from Limón to the Honduras/Nicaragua border, which

756-425: A well-defined eye, a symmetric cloud structure, and strong upper-level outflow; consequently, the hurricane commenced explosive intensification shortly afterward. Felix attained major hurricane status at around 1800 UTC on September 2 while located about 490 mi (790 km) southeast of Kingston , Jamaica . Rapid strengthening continued, and later that day the hurricane attained Category 4 status on

810-448: Is a sister city to: 14°01′41″N 83°22′51″W  /  14.02807°N 83.380791°W  / 14.02807; -83.380791 Hurricane Felix (2007) Hurricane Felix was an extremely powerful Category 5 Atlantic hurricane which was the southernmost-landfalling Category 5 storm on record, surpassing Hurricane Edith of 1971 . It was the sixth named storm , second hurricane, and second Category 5 hurricane of

864-764: Is diverse, being Miskito culture the dominant, followed by Creole, Mayangna and Latino. The culture, like the rest of Nicaragua's Caribbean coast, has a very prominent Caribbean influence. The University of the Autonomous Regions of the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast (URACCAN) has a campus in Puerto Cabezas, as well as in several other locations in the RACCN and the RACCS . The city is served by Puerto Cabezas Airport . Puerto Cabezas

918-452: The 2007 Atlantic hurricane season . Felix formed from a tropical wave on August 31, passing through the southern Windward Islands on September 1 before strengthening to attain hurricane status. On the next day, Felix rapidly strengthened into a major hurricane, and early on September 3 it was upgraded to Category 5 status; at 2100 UTC on the same day, the hurricane was downgraded to Category 4 status, but strengthened into

972-717: The Government Flying Service of Hong Kong (GFS) have conducted regular flight data collection in cooperation with the Hong Kong Observatory . In 2011, the cooperation between GFS and the Observatory extended to reconnaissance flights to capture weather data for tropical cyclones over the South China Sea . In September 2016 they introduced the dropsonde system, which collects extra meteorological data on tropical cyclones to enhance

1026-509: The Intertropical Convergence Zone . The wave continued to develop moderate to strong convection, and on August 27 a 1012  mbar ( hPa ; 29.88  inHg ) low pressure area developed about 830  mi (1,340  km ) west-southwest of Praia , Cape Verde . For the next several days the system failed to organize significantly; however, on August 30 the wave became better defined with more representation of

1080-547: The Mosquito Coast region, as a Category 5 hurricane with 160 mph (260 km/h) winds. Hurricane Felix struck Nicaragua on the same day as Hurricane Henriette struck the Baja California Peninsula in the eastern Pacific Ocean , which marked the second recorded occurrence that a North Atlantic hurricane and a Pacific hurricane made landfall on the same day; the previous occurrence

1134-963: The NOAA Hurricane Hunters , originally based at the Aircraft Operations Center at MacDill AFB , in Tampa , Florida , mainly perform surveillance, research, and reconnaissance with highly instrumented aircraft including airborne Doppler weather radar measurements in both Atlantic and Pacific storms. In June 2017 the Hunters moved into a new facility at Lakeland Linder International Airport in Lakeland, Florida, having been at MacDill since 1993. They fly two Lockheed WP-3D Orion aircraft, heavily instrumented flying laboratories modified to take atmospheric and radar measurements within tropical cyclones and winter storms, and

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1188-863: The Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) airlifted 120 rolls of plastic sheeting to the severely affected areas, which was used to repair the damaged roofs of health clinics and schools. USAID and OFDA also distributed 12,000 ten-liter water containers to Puerto Cabezas. Emergency relief supplies from both USAID and OFDA totaled to $ 94,190 (2007 USD$ , 138,405 2024 USD). In the aftermath of both Hurricane Dean and Felix, combined, USAID and OFDA donated $ 25,000 (2007 USD$ , 36,736 2024 USD) in aid to Honduras, and $ 1.2 million (2007 USD$ , 1.76 million 2024 USD) to Nicaragua. In addition, United States Department of Defense (USDOD) gave $ 1.5 million (2007 USD$ , 2.2 million 2024 USD) in humanitarian assistance to Nicaragua. In collaboration with USAID and OFDA,

1242-575: The Miskito Cays. The winds of the hurricane, with speeds of up to 160 mph (260 km/h), destroyed the Cays completely. Pillars that previously formed the base of the houses were the only remains on the Cays. At least 133 people were reported dead. At least 130 of them were in Nicaragua. While few details have been disclosed, they include at least 25 dead Miskito fishermen swept away,

1296-484: The Mosquito Coast, flooding and mudslides were reported, destroying many houses and blocking highways. The government of Nicaragua declared the northern Caribbean coast a disaster area . The Miskito Cays , located about 43 mi (69 km) from Bilwi on the northeast coast of Nicaragua, was among the strongest hit areas. Hurricane Felix had not yet made landfall but reached maximum force when it passed over

1350-492: The National Hurricane Center estimates the hurricane attained a minimum central pressure of 929 mbar (929 hPa; 27.4 inHg) about seven hours after it reached Category 5 status. Initially, Felix was predicted to track west-northwestward, striking Belize before crossing the Yucatán Peninsula ; however, its path remained nearly due westward. Subsequently, cloud tops near the center started to warm as

1404-619: The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale with the pressure dropping to 957 mbar (957 hPa; 28.3 inHg); this corresponded to a falling rate of 3.4 mbar (3.4 hPa; 0.10 inHg) per hour, which the National Hurricane Center described as "one of the more rapid deepening rates we have observed." A Hurricane Hunters flight reported a stadium effect in the eye, and also reported the eye diameter shrank to 14 mi (23 km). A subsequent Hurricane Hunters flight experienced flight level winds of 175 mph (282 km/h), with peak surface winds of 163 mph (262 km/h) reported in

1458-722: The USDOD delivered near 27.55  tons (25  metric tons ) of food from the United Nation's World Food Program to the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region , Nicaragua. Due to the extensive damage and high death toll from the hurricane in Nicaragua, the name Felix was retired by the World Meteorological Organization in May 2008, and it will never be used again for an Atlantic tropical cyclone. The name

1512-584: The Windward Islands. On Trinidad , heavy precipitation caused mudslides and overflown rivers which destroyed some bridges; moderate winds damaged several buildings on the island. Damage on neighboring Tobago was concentrated on its northern portion, where several mudslides resulted from the rainfall; monetary damage on Tobago was estimated at $ 250,000 (2007  TTD ; $ 40,000 2007 USD$ , 58,777 2024 USD). Felix produced gusty winds on Grenada , which downed several power lines and destroyed

1566-631: The area. The response was almost immediate. Help from Venezuela, Cuba , the United States, and Honduras was received, and a lot of organizations, such as the Nicaraguan Red Cross, the media and universities organized collections all over the country. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega visited Bilwi on the day after the catastrophe and promised the reconstruction of houses to the people affected. Damage in Nicaragua totaled 13.4 billion (2007  NIO ; $ 716.3 million 2007 USD$ , 1.05 billion 2024 USD). Inland flooding

1620-462: The arrival of the hurricane, officials sent about 140,000  lbs (63,000  kg ) of meals and emergency supplies to near the landfall location. At around 1200 UTC on September 1 a wind gust of 46 mph (74 km/h) was recorded on Barbados , and around the same time a gust of 44 mph (71 km/h) was observed in Saint Vincent . The storm produced heavy rainfall across

1674-414: The coast of Africa on August 24, tracking westward at approximately 14 mph (23 km/h) with no associated deep convection and a weak low-level inverted-V curvature. Initially difficult to locate on satellites , the wave axis tracked through a moist environment and developed an area of scattered thunderstorms. By August 25 visible satellite imagery indicated broad cyclonic turning just north of

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1728-423: The cyclonic turning into the low. Convection increased early the next day, and a Hurricane Hunters flight into the system reported the presence of a closed low-level circulation; accordingly, the National Hurricane Center initiated advisories on Tropical Depression Six at 2100 UTC on August 31 while it was located about 180 mi (290 km) east-southeast of the southern Windward Islands. Upon becoming

1782-422: The eye became less distinct, and by 1800 UTC on September 3, Felix weakened to Category 4 status with winds of 145 mph (233 km/h). On September 4, Felix had completed an eyewall replacement cycle and began strengthening again during the day. Felix was upgraded to a Category 5 for the second time at 1040 UTC, and made landfall in Nicaragua just south of its border with Honduras , in

1836-707: The eye of the storm. After he returned safely with navigator Lt. Ralph O'Hair, the base's weather officer, Lt. William Jones-Burdick, took over the navigator's seat and Duckworth flew into the storm a second time. This flight showed that hurricane reconnaissance flights were possible, and further flights continued occasionally. In 1946, the moniker "Hurricane Hunters" was first used, and the Air Force and now Air Force Reserve have used it ever since. The flights demonstrated that hurricane reconnaissance flights were feasible. The United States Navy's VW-4 / WEARECORON FOUR Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Four, "Hurricane Hunters"

1890-486: The first intentional meteorological flight into a hurricane. It started with a bet. That summer, British pilots were being trained in instrument flying at Bryan Field . When they saw that the Americans were evacuating their AT-6 Texan trainers in the face of the storm, they began questioning the construction of the aircraft. Lead instructor Colonel Joe Duckworth took one of the trainers out and flew it straight into

1944-483: The interior barometric pressure of a hurricane and provide accurate wind speed data, information needed to accurately predict hurricane development and movement. The Air Force Reserve 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron , the world's only operational military weather reconnaissance unit, is based at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi ; most weather recon flights originate there. The term "hurricane hunters"

1998-634: The monitoring of typhoons . Among the types of aircraft that have been used to investigate hurricanes, are an instrumented Lockheed U-2 flown in Hurricane Ginny during the 1963 Atlantic hurricane season . Other types include the A-20 Havoc , 1944; B-24 , 1944–1945; B-17 , 1945–1947; B-25 , 1946–1947; B-29 , 1946–1947. WB-29 , 1951–1956; WB-50 , 1956–1963; WB-47 , 1963–1969; WC-121N 1954–1973; WC-130A, B, E, H , 1965–2012. The idea of aircraft reconnaissance of hurricane storm trackers

2052-593: The roofs of two houses; rough waves also broke several vessels from their anchors. In St. Lucia , winds from the storm damaged the roof of a store in Castries , which collapsed and destroyed 12 vehicles. In the ABC islands , the hurricane resulted in gusty winds and heavy rainfall. However, little damage was reported in Bonaire ; the precipitation left several homes submerged under water in Curaçao . In Aruba ,

2106-470: The southwest quadrant of the eyewall; surface winds of 189 mph (304 km/h) were found in its northeastern quadrant, although the National Hurricane Center reported the peak reading could have been contaminated due to graupel in the clouds. Based on the observations, it is estimated Felix attained winds of 175 mph (282 km/h) by 0000 UTC on September 3 while located about 390 mi (630 km) southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, making Felix

2160-672: The storm. An appeal was given out by the United Nations for over $ 48 million (2007 USD$ , 70.5 million 2024 USD) in emergency aid to the hard-hit areas, particularly in Nicaragua. The appeal United States federal government delivered over $ 1.17 million (2007 USD$ , 1.72 million 2024 USD) in assistance, and the European Union responded with a donation of € 1 million euros ($ 1.36 million 2007 USD$ , 2 million 2024 USD). The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and

2214-692: The strongest storm to ever impact the U.S. On September 1, the storm moved through The Bahamas where it was estimated to be at hurricane strength. As a result, ships began to avoid the Florida Straits , depriving the Weather Bureau of valuable information. This led to confusion as the Weather Bureau believed it would continue on its westward path and make landfall in Cuba while the Cuba weather service didn't see any evidence for this. On September 2,

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2268-422: The time the hurricane made landfall, about 20,000 people in Honduras left for safer areas. At 1500 UTC on September 3, about 21 hours before its final landfall, the government of Nicaragua issued a hurricane warning from Puerto Cabezas northward to the national border. About 12 hours before landfall, a tropical storm warning was issued from Puerto Cabezas southward to Prinzapolka . Prior to

2322-532: The turbine-propeller Lockheed WP-3A Orion . The landfall of Hurricane Katrina on 29 August 2005 devastated Keesler Air Force Base , home of the 53rd WRS. The equipment and personnel of the squadron were flying out of Dobbins Air Reserve Base near Atlanta . Despite heavy equipment losses, the squadron never missed a mission from the National Hurricane Center . The 53rd has since returned to Keesler. A reality television series featuring

2376-500: The upgrade of Felix to tropical storm status, the watch for the ABC islands was upgraded to a tropical storm warning. A hurricane watch was added to the islands early on September 2, where several tourists attempted to leave by plane prior to the arrival of the storm. Early on September 2, the government of Jamaica issued a tropical storm watch for the island, which was canceled as the hurricane passed far to its south. Later on September 2,

2430-539: The winds damaged one house and briefly left a northern town without power. Hurricane Felix produced strong winds and 10 ft (3.0 m) waves along the north coast of Venezuela , which left one person missing in Puerto Cabello . Early reports suggest severe damage in Honduras and Nicaragua after Felix made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane. In Puerto Cabezas, nearly every structure sustained at least roof damage, and many buildings were destroyed. Along

2484-703: Was also reported in Honduras, particularly near Tegucigalpa and in the northwestern regions where the Ulua River and the Chamelecon River overflowed into an agricultural area. Coastal flooding also damages the town of Izabal in Guatemala where 850 people were evacuated. Crop damage in Honduras amounted to L68.28 million (2007  HNL ; $ 3.64 million 2007 USD$ , 5.35 million 2024 USD). After Felix, over 160,000 people were suffering as many communities were stranded due to

2538-486: Was difficult to impossible in many areas. Some survivors were also found on the Mosquito Coast who were initially reported missing. According to official information, at least 40,000 people were affected and 9,000 houses destroyed, most of them in the Nicaraguan city of Bilwi (Puerto Cabezas), where a "State of Disaster" was decreed by the government. A total lack of supplies and services were also reported in

2592-759: Was first applied to its missions in 1946. The USAFR hurricane hunters fly weather missions in an area midway through the Atlantic Ocean to the Hawaiian Islands , and have on occasion flown into typhoons in the Pacific Ocean and gathered data in winter storms. The 53rd WRS hurricane hunters operate ten Lockheed WC-130J aircraft, which fly directly into hurricanes, typically penetrating the hurricane's eye several times per mission at altitudes between 500 feet (150 m) and 10,000 feet (3,000 m). The civilian and NOAA Corps crew members of

2646-503: Was on August 23, 1992, when Hurricane Andrew hit the Bahamas on the same day Hurricane Lester hit Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. By nine hours after moving ashore, the system maintained a well-organized cloud pattern and intense rainbands, although the winds rapidly decreased; early on September 5 Felix weakened to a tropical storm as its upper-level circulation became detached from the low-level portion. The system deteriorated to

2700-691: Was put forth by Captain W. L. Farnsworth of the Galveston Commercial Association in the early 1930s. Supported by the United States Weather Bureau , the "storm patrol bill" passed both the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives on June 15, 1936. The first time a reconnaissance flight took place with the sole purpose of locating a hurricane was during the 1935 Great Labor Day Hurricane , which would later become

2754-481: Was relayed to the Weather Bureau, which immediately put warnings out for the Florida Keys. The storm would make landfall later that day. Capt. Povey urged Congress and the Weather Bureau to implement full-time reconnaissance planes, but to no avail. A plan was laid out to use Coast Guard cutters, but was never implemented. The 1943 Surprise Hurricane , which struck Houston, Texas , during World War II, marked

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2808-801: Was replaced with Fernand for the 2013 season . Hurricane Hunters Hurricane hunters , typhoon hunters , or cyclone hunters are aircrews that fly into tropical cyclones to gather weather data. In the United States, the organizations that fly these missions are the United States Air Force Reserve 's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 's Hurricane Hunters . Such missions have also been flown by Navy units and other Air Force and NOAA units. Other organizations also fly these missions, such as Government Flying Service Hong Kong . The first crewed flight into

2862-578: Was the seventh U.S. Navy squadron dedicated to weather reconnaissance. They flew several types of aircraft, but the WC-121N "Willy Victor" was the aircraft most often associated with flying into the "eye of the storm." The squadron operated WC-121s between late 1954 and 1972. VW-4 lost one aircraft and crew in a penetration of Hurricane Janet , and another to severe damage in a storm, but the severely damaged Willy Victor (MH-1) brought her crew home, although she never flew again. During 1973–1975, VW-4 operated

2916-668: Was upgraded to a hurricane warning six hours later. At the same time, a hurricane watch was extended westward to the Honduras/ Guatemala border, and early on September 4 a tropical storm warning was put in place for the same region. Officials ordered evacuations for citizens in low-lying areas near the coastline; by midday on September 3, around 300 tourists evacuated from the Bay Islands department, with an additional 400 preparing to leave by plane; approximately 2,000 people were evacuated from coastal areas. By

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