 The United States Weather Bureau 's National Hurricane Research Project , founded in 1955 , had as one of its objectives to investigate the scientific validity of hurricane modification methods . To this end , silver iodide dispensers were tested in Hurricane Daisy in August 1958 . The flares were deployed outside of the hurricane eyewall , so this was an equipment test rather than a modification experiment . The equipment malfunctioned in all but one of the flights , and no conclusive data was acquired . 
