Aircraft Stored In Preparation for Hurricane Helene

To prepare for intense winds and precipitation from Hurricane Helene, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) has secured 33 of its Cessna 172s in a three-floor parking garage. This creative move was planned in last year’s garage redesign.

Hurricane Helene was slated to pass by Embry Riddle’s Daytona Beach, Florida campus on September 26. The university was shut down with the intent to reopen on September 27.

Before the storm, ERAU personnel secured the garage’s previously installed hurricane screens in hopes of limiting wind impact. Aircraft were taxied and towed from the flight line to an adjoining gate, then pulled into the garage by several mechanics and dispatchers. After around 6 hours of work, the planes were carefully positioned and tied down on the garage’s first floor.

However, with 116 aircraft in the university’s fleet, many were unable to squeeze into the garage. These were flown to various local airfields, including Melbourne and DeLand, to be hangared until the storm passed. A few were left on the flight line to fend for themselves.

“We tested this operation last January,” said Dr. Ken Byrnes, chair of the Flight Department on the Daytona Beach Campus. “We implemented lessons learned from that test to ensure we could complete this operation with minimal disruption.”

As another last-minute step, a TempestOne weather system was installed in the building. This features data sensors to measure and record wind speeds inside and outside of the garage. It also utilizes site-specific weather data and AI modeling to enhance accuracy, allowing the university to be more prepared for future events.

“When the University reached out yesterday, Tempest was ready to respond,” commented Tempest co-founder and chief technology officer David St. John. “Thanks to the swift installation process and the wireless capabilities of our TempestOne systems, we were able to rapidly deliver real-time weather data through our APIs and visualization tools.”

FMI: www.erau.edu