Storm-Absorbing Gel?

[Jinx]

I heard the wildest story on the radio…did I hear correctly? I heard scientists were going to test a highly water-absorbAnt (absorbEnt?) gel which would be tossed into a thunderstorm cell for such testing? The gel would turn into a hardened mass, I believe, and drop safely(?) into the ocean.

Did anyone else hear this? Does anyone know any more?

• Jinx
  Be careful when investing in toilet paper; you might get wiped out before you can turn around!

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

Evidently you heard correctly. They’re trying to figure out a way to stop hurricanes so all those folks who built beach houses right at the waterline won’t have to worry about flood insurance anymore. :rolleyes:

http://www.islandpacket.com/hurricane/story/663164p-710492c.html

Powder sucks moisture out of thunderstorm
By AMANDA RIDDLE, Associated Press
Published Friday, July 20th, 2001

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - In its latest test, a powder promoted as a potential way to weaken hurricanes sucked the moisture out of a thunderstorm Thursday.

An airplane dropped $40,000 worth of the Dyn-O-Gel granules into a cloud 10 miles offshore. A television station’s weather radar confirmed the cloud then lost moisture.

<snip>

The granules, made by a company called Dyn-O-Mat, fell into the ocean as a gel-like substance that dissolves in salt water.

Company chief executive Peter Cordani said he hopes to sell the product to the federal government after more tests.

My tax dollars, about to be at work. [sigh]

[Jorge]

Now we gotta watch for the correlation of droughts with voter party preferences…