How NASA Saw 2020's Record-Breaking Atlantic Hurricane Season

Narration: Kathleen Gaeta

Transcript:

1

00:00:02,850 --> 00:00:06,750

In 2020, there were a record 30

named hurricanes in the

2

00:00:06,750 --> 00:00:07,350

Atlantic.

3

00:00:08,519 --> 00:00:11,159

Hurricanes occur in the warmer

months when the ocean

4

00:00:11,159 --> 00:00:15,539

temperature rises.

5

00:00:13,049 --> 00:00:15,877

NASA monitors and tracks

hurricanes through

6

00:00:15,943 --> 00:00:19,430

Earth-Observing satellites. These

7

00:00:19,496 --> 00:00:23,246

instruments allow NASA to see

things like the movement of

8

00:00:23,311 --> 00:00:27,127

storms at night, rainfall rates,

surface wind speed, cloud

9

00:00:27,193 --> 00:00:29,430

heights, ocean heat, and humidity.

10

00:00:30,810 --> 00:00:34,800

All the data collected is free

and accessible to the public, so

11

00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:38,430

regional and local governments

as well as federal agencies like

12

00:00:38,430 --> 00:00:42,150

FEMA can better prepare for

hurricanes in advance, leading

13

00:00:42,150 --> 00:00:44,190

to more efficient relief action.

14

00:00:46,410 --> 00:00:50,670

NASA also tracks the long term

changes of hurricanes. As human

15

00:00:50,670 --> 00:00:53,700

caused climate change appears to

be strengthening the strongest

16

00:00:53,700 --> 00:00:57,840

storms. More storms are

increasing in strength within a

17

00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,810

24-hour period, which is a

process called rapid

18

00:01:00,810 --> 00:01:06,660

intensification. In 2020, a

record-tying nine storms rapidl

19

00:01:06,660 --> 00:01:07,500

intensified

20

00:01:10,500 --> 00:01:13,770

NASA has developed a machine

learning model that could more

21

00:01:13,770 --> 00:01:17,460

accurately detect rapidly

intensifying storms, with the

22

00:01:17,460 --> 00:01:20,940

goal of giving people more time

to prepare for high intensity

23

00:01:20,940 --> 00:01:22,080

storms and flooding.

24

00:01:23,910 --> 00:01:26,850

In addition to rapid

intensification, storms are

25

00:01:26,850 --> 00:01:31,050

stalling, or moving forward mor

slowly, making them mor

26

00:01:31,050 --> 00:01:31,800

destructive

27

00:01:33,300 --> 00:01:36,360

These hurricanes can slow to

just a few miles an hour,

28

00:01:36,660 --> 00:01:40,380

dumping rain and fierce winds on

one location at a time.

29

00:01:44,490 --> 00:01:48,300

Using satellites NASA also helps

to assess the aftermath of

30

00:01:48,300 --> 00:01:53,490

storms. In 2020, NASA's

Disasters program provided data

31

00:01:53,490 --> 00:01:58,680

to groups in Alabama, Louisiana,

and Central America to identify

32

00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:02,340

regions significantly affected

by hurricanes, like which

33

00:02:02,340 --> 00:02:06,330

neighborhoods remain dark with

no power. This helps to both

34

00:02:06,330 --> 00:02:10,110

identify vulnerable communities

and make informed decisions

35

00:02:10,110 --> 00:02:11,970

about where to send resources.

36

00:02:16,110 --> 00:02:20,370

Hurricanes can displace entire

cities of people whose homes or

37

00:02:20,370 --> 00:02:23,670

neighborhoods are destroyed and

cause millions of dollars worth

38

00:02:23,670 --> 00:02:24,930

f damage every year.

39

00:02:26,190 --> 00:02:29,130

In addition to on-the-ground

relief, it's important to

40

00:02:29,130 --> 00:02:32,820

continue to monitor hurricane

behavior and characteristics so

41

00:02:32,820 --> 00:02:35,940

that weather models can more

accurately predict the magnitude

42

00:02:35,970 --> 00:02:37,560

and trajectory of storms.

43

00:02:41,070 --> 00:02:44,280

When it comes to hurricanes, our

eyes in the sky can provide

44

00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:47,580

critical data to help keep

people in the know and out of

45

00:02:47,580 --> 00:02:48,300

harm's way.