ATLANTA — If you are traveling by air, you may encounter a bumpy ride.
In most cases, turbulence is a minor discomfort but severe cases send passengers and crew to the hospital.
Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Brian Monahan explains the connection between recent changes to the atmosphere and an increase in turbulence.
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Some rides are bumpier than others.
“I handle it pretty well, my wife does not,” said Steven Butler, a passenger.
Turbulence is a sudden and rapid change in airflow. In most cases it’s a little jolting.
“The stewardess beside us fell to the ground and then we hit a major turbulence which was petrifying and she was just like matrix. We watched her go up in the air, and just land straight down,” said Lisa Spriggs.
That was the case with an Allegiant flight from North Carolina to Florida in July.
Then in August, a Delta flight from Italy to Atlanta encountered only a couple of seconds of severe turbulence before landing at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
“I honestly thought we were crashing,” said Ayo Suber, a passenger.
The incident injured 14 people including two crew members.
“The woman in the aisle next to me flew up and hit the overhead bin Everyone’s stuff. Kind of just. Flew out of the seats,” said Suber.
Research out of The University of Reading found over the past 40 years, models show a 55% increase in clear air turbulence.
Particularly around the North American Jet Stream.
Its hypothesis is that atmospheric warming is strengthening wind shear. Chip Konrad with NOAA’s Southeast Regional Climate Center would like to see more evidence.
“I think it’s in there but it takes a lot to detangle it,” said Konrad.
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Konrad adds that these incidents are predictable.
Pilots are in constant communication to navigate the most severe cases. But still, there are times when it can come out of nowhere.
“It happens sometimes over very small areas over really short time periods, that aspect of it can be very difficult if impossible to forecast,” said Konrad.
Although sometimes clear-air turbulence can seem to come out of nowhere, you can protect yourself by keeping on your seatbelt.
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