Scientists use very unusual technology to predict hurricanes. Specially- equipped airplanes called hurricane hunters fly above the storm and parachute miniature weather stations into the storm. These satellites send back data to receiving equipment on the airplane.
On the ground, the meteorologists use balloons, satellites, and radar to watch for areas of rapidly falling pressure that may become hurricanes.
Most of these satellites, are placed in orbit by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These satellites orbit thousands of miles above the surface of the earth and send pictures to the meteorologists below. The satellites can identify tropical storms while they are still forming. Satellites can also record the movements of hurricanes as they approach coastlines.
Unfortunately, even a carefully monitored storm can easily make unexpected moves. Some hurricanes that form in the North Atlantic continuously move to the west and others strangely veer to the north. Meteorologists must watch a storm on a minute-by-minute basis, which is the only way to precisely determine where it is going. In fact, two of the major hurricanes to strike Kauai, Iwa in 1982 and Iniki in 1992, both made unexpected, last-minute turns toward Kauai.
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