Thanks to the advances in satellite and radar technology over
the past several decades, meteorologists and hurricane experts
have been able to make a number of big leaps forward in
understanding of how hurricanes and tropical storms form and
strengthen over time. They don't just use "eyes in the sky,"
however -- some of the best tools for tracking these storms
involve taking measurements inside them. Prior to technology
used to develop and launch satellites, it was difficult for
meteorologists to determine just where tropical cyclones formed.
For years and even decades, they relied largely on ship and
tropical island weather observations and coastal radars. The
first satellite sent up by the United States to monitor weather
conditions was TIROS in 1960. Though its capabilities were
primitive compared to today's satellite technology, TIROS it
opened the door for meteorologists to understand a great deal
more about tropical cyclones. The story of Hurricane Camille
illustrates advances in weather information lea