Chennault International Airport hosted the 2026 NOAA Hurricane Awareness Tour in Lake Charles, bringing together federal, state and local weather partners, emergency preparedness leaders, elected officials, media representatives and the public ahead of hurricane season.
The event featured hurricane reconnaissance aircraft from the United States Air Force Reserve 53rd Weather Squadron, known as the Hurricane Hunters, along with aircraft and personnel from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Representatives from the National Hurricane Center, the National Weather Service, the Weather Prediction Center and other partner organizations were also in attendance.
Chennault Executive Director Kevin Melton welcomed guests and emphasized the importance of the event as both a public preparedness forum and an educational opportunity for students in Southwest Louisiana. He noted that hurricane awareness involves much more than weather forecasts alone. It includes aviation operations, data collection, meteorology, media communication, emergency planning and response coordination.
Melton also highlighted the career opportunities connected to these fields, encouraging young people in the Lake Charles area to see science, aviation and weather operations as potential career paths close to home.
A Regional Focus on Preparedness
Stephen Carboni, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service forecast office in Lake Charles, reflected on the region’s experience with major storms, including Hurricane Rita in 2005 and Hurricanes Laura and Delta in 2020.
Carboni explained that those storms caused major disruption across Southwest Louisiana, but they also showed the importance of strong preparedness and response planning. He emphasized that the purpose of the Hurricane Awareness Tour is to help communities better understand tropical cyclone threats and prepare before storms approach.
He described hurricane preparedness as a team effort involving local National Weather Service offices, national forecasting centers, reconnaissance crews, emergency managers, media outlets and safety organizations. He also recognized the important role of the Hurricane Hunters, whose crews collect real-time data from tropical systems to improve forecasting and support life-safety decisions.
Local Leaders Stress Resilience
Calcasieu Parish Police Jury President Brian Abshire spoke about the significance of the event as the region approaches hurricane season. He acknowledged Southwest Louisiana’s history of storm recovery and the partnerships needed to help communities rebuild after severe weather.
Abshire emphasized that the region has proven its resilience through past storms and recoveries, while also noting that local recovery depends on continued coordination with state and federal partners.
Lake Charles Mayor Marshall Simien also addressed the crowd, noting that the city has learned firsthand that major hurricanes can no longer be treated as once-in-a-lifetime events. He emphasized the importance of building resiliency into the community so recovery can be stronger and more efficient when storms occur.
Simien also pointed to the value of the data gathered by hurricane reconnaissance aircraft, which helps local leaders make decisions related to evacuations, public safety, asset protection and recovery planning.
National Hurricane Center Encourages Early Action
D
r. Mike Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center, reminded attendees that the Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1. He noted that Southwest Louisiana remains one of the more vulnerable areas along the Gulf Coast for tropical storm and hurricane impacts.
Brennan encouraged residents to prepare before a storm is in the forecast. He stressed the importance of knowing whether a home is located in a storm surge evacuation zone, having an evacuation plan and gathering emergency supplies in advance.
Recommended preparations include several days of non-perishable food, water, medications, batteries and other essentials families may need after a storm.
Chennault’s Role in Regional Readiness
By hosting the NOAA Hurricane Awareness Tour, Chennault International Airport helped bring critical preparedness conversations directly to the Lake Charles community. The event also showcased the aviation, science, public safety and emergency response partnerships that support hurricane forecasting and community protection across the Gulf Coast.
As Southwest Louisiana prepares for another hurricane season, the message from the event was clear: preparedness is a shared responsibility, and early action can make a meaningful difference when severe weather threatens the region.
Watch the full press conference here.