Hurricane Hunters relocate, Amazon cancels Lakeland flights ahead of Ian

Sara-Megan Walsh, The Ledger
·2 min read

LAKELAND —  The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hurricane Hunters are in the process of relocating their aircraft and operations from Lakeland Linder International Airport to Houston.

Jonathon Shannon, public affairs specialist for the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center, said its standard practice for NOAA to fly out ahead of the storm to avoid being caught and grounded by the storm.

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NOAA Hurricane Hunters are in the process of relocating their operations from Lakeland Linder International Airport to Houston to stay ahead of Hurricane Ian. The latest forecast has put Lakeland directly in the cone of the storm as of Tuesday morning. Pictured here is NOAA's Hurricane Hunters P3 Orion aircraft nicknamed Kermit during the 2022 hurricane season preparations in April.

"It would affect our take-off and landing limits," Shannon said. "With Lakeland being in the forecast cone we are repositioning our aircraft so we can continue flying missions as the storm approaches landfall."

When NOAA's aircraft head out for a mission, they are not returning to Lakeland Linder but rather being redirected toward Houston, according to Shannon. He believes the last aircraft should leave the airport Tuesday afternoon.

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NOAA Aircraft Operations Center has been stationed in Lakeland since June 2017

The NOAA Aircraft Operations Center has been stationed in Lakeland since June 2017 and works with the National Hurricane Center to gather information on storms for meteorologists.

NOAA relocated its operations ahead of Hurricane Irma in August 2017, according to Airport Director Kris Hallstrand.

NOAA's hanger becomes a valuable resource for local municipalities looking to keep their aircraft safe from potential storm damage. Polk and Hillsborough counties will be moving its helicopters into the shelter, Hallstrand said.

Amazon cancels flights arriving, departing from Lakeland Linder

Amazon has canceled all of its flights arriving and departing from Lakeland Linder as of Tuesday, according to Hallstrand, with one flight remaining on the schedule.

Unlike Tampa International Airport, Hallstrand said Lakeland's airport typically does not close ahead of storms as it does not have commercial airline service. The airport's air traffic control tower will shut down if wind speeds hit or exceed 60 mph.

"We'll play it as the storm goes," she said.

Other conditions that impact Lakeland Linder operations would be localized flooding due to heavy rainfall expected from Ian, according to Hallstrand.

The airport will be staffed 24/7 throughout the storm with personnel to ensure safety and security.

Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on Twitter @SaraWalshFL for storm updates. 

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Hurricane Hunters relocate, Amazon cancels Lakeland flights ahead of Hurricane Ian