Kevin Doremus says the eyes of hurricanes, including Fiona B次元官网网址� a storm that barrelled into Atlantic Canada last month causing widespread damage B次元官网网址� look like open-air domes, similar to sports arenas.

Doremus, a lieutenant-commander with the United StatesB次元官网网址� National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, got up close to the Category 3 hurricane over the Atlantic Ocean as it flirted with the coasts of Aruba and Puerto Rico B次元官网网址� days before it was downgraded into a post-tropical storm and made landfall in Canada.

The pilot B次元官网网址� known as a hurricane hunter B次元官网网址� flies scientists through the eyes of dangerous storms to collect data, using a plane that he affectionately calls Miss Piggy. He said FionaB次元官网网址檚 eye was presenting whatB次元官网网址檚 known as the B次元官网网址渟tadium effect.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淵ou basically go through the strongest winds of the storm right through the eye wall and then the winds go from very, very strong to zero very, very quickly,B次元官网网址� Doremus said in a recent interview. B次元官网网址淵ou go from flying through basically a bathtub B次元官网网址� just a ton of rain, a ton of precipitation where you canB次元官网网址檛 see anything out of the window, and then you just break out into the middle of the eye and everything clears up.B次元官网网址�

Inside FionaB次元官网网址檚 eye, the circular walls of cloud resembled a sports dome, he said.

B次元官网网址淵ou can look up and you can see up high,B次元官网网址� Doremus said. B次元官网网址淵ou can see down low into the water. ItB次元官网网址檚 a pretty surreal experience. FionaB次元官网网址檚 eye was definitely really well formed when we were flying into it towards the end there B次元官网网址� where we got that pretty impressive-looking stadium effect.B次元官网网址�

Doremus has been a hurricane hunter for about five years and has been with the U.S. agency for more than a decade. He said he has flown into the eye of a hurricane more than 100 times. B次元官网网址淵ou pass through the eye wall, go into the eye and back out the other side. ThatB次元官网网址檚 one pass,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 fly with people who have about 400 or 500 passes, so IB次元官网网址檓 really on the lower end of my peers for the most part.B次元官网网址�

His final flight through Fiona was Sept. 21, after it passed over Puerto Rico and right before it made landfall in Bermuda.

B次元官网网址淚t was a very challenging storm for us because it was very far away from land when it was really strong,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪o, we had these long two- or three-hour transits to get out to the storm.B次元官网网址�

Usually, he said, the eye is the calmest part of the storm B次元官网网址� but that was not the case for Fiona.

B次元官网网址淲e were in the storm, where majority of the time was in darkness. But there was so much lightning that when we were in the eye, the lightning was kind of lighting it up for us so we could see some of the features,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t was definitely a very active storm for sure.B次元官网网址�

Fiona left a trail of destruction as it roared through Puerto Rico, ripping through the island and causing landslides before reaching Bermuda. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Fiona had maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometres per hour mid-afternoon Sept. 23 as it barrelled toward south of Halifax.

The post-tropical storm made landfall in Nova Scotia between the communities of Canso and Guysborough on Sept. 24. Its hurricane-force winds travelled through the region, knocking out power to more than 500,000 customers in the Maritimes. On Tuesday B次元官网网址� nearly three weeks after Fiona swept through the area B次元官网网址� more than 3,000 customers in Prince Edward Island were still without power.

What Doremus said he found unusual about Fiona was that the storm maintained its strength for a lot longer than the average for hurricanes. Researchers and pilots spent large amounts of time studying Fiona to learn how storms intensify, he said, adding that scientists canB次元官网网址檛 use the instruments to gather data once the storm is over land.

B次元官网网址淪ince the storm was over open water for so long, we were able to really sample the storm and gather a lot of really valuable research information for it before it made landfall,B次元官网网址� he said.

Researchers collected information on temperature, pressure, humidity, dew point and wind speed. The goal is to provide accurate data to authorities on the ground so thereB次元官网网址檚 more time to prepare before the storm hits land, he said.

When large storms such as Fiona threaten the coasts, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration runs 24-hour operations to not only monitor them but also gather data, Doremus said. The agency meets daily, either at 2 a.m. or 2 p.m. Doremus said heB次元官网网址檚 partial to the 2 p.m. meets, for which he prepares by usually stopping by the local grocery store to grab some cookies.

For the 2 a.m. meets, he gets doughnuts. B次元官网网址淛ust some light snacks,B次元官网网址� he said with a laugh. B次元官网网址淐hocolate works.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擧ina Alam, The Canadian Press