Ask an Aquanaut: Hurricanes
Luis Ayala asks: Has anyone ever stayed below during a hurricane? What steps are taken to prepare Aquarius in the event of a large storm?
Dear Luis,
No one has ever been inside Aquarius during a hurricane. We carefully monitor impending storms all year long and if one could possibly impact us during a mission it is canceled well in advance. We believe in “better safe than sorry.”
To prepare for a storm the first thing we do is get the scientists out of the habitat and send them home. We then secure things as best we can, removing lines, flooding or removing gazebos, unhooking the umbilical, and sometimes moving the Life Support Buoy. We then make sure all equipment is secure at the base, then secure our homes, and then evacuate or ride it out.
Otto Rutten
Associate Director, Aquarius Reef Base
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