SMART-Radar captures images of Hurricane Lili

Research scientists captured images of Hurricane Lili with the SMART-Radar (SR-1) and two other mobile radars as it came onshore along the southern Louisiana coast in early October. The three radars were deployed to collect data simultaneously and were able to track the center of Hurricane Lili for about six hours. Wind speed and direction and estimations of rainfall amounts were recorded for an approximate 100-squaremile area. Several 40ft tall instrumented towers were also deployed southwest of the radars in order to directly measure the vertical profile of pressure, temperature, and winds as the hurricane made landfall.

Although maximum ground-based winds near the SR-1 radar exceeded 85 miles per hour during data collection, the radar was able to accurately collect data uninterrupted by the storm.

Combined data from the radars provide a more complete picture of the structure and intensity of the hurricane as it moved inland. Knowledge gained by analyzing radar and tower data will help emergency managers, structural engineers and weather forecasters mitigate the loss of life and property from future landfalling tropical storms and hurricanes.