Published by on

Hurricane hunters captured stunning footage of their harrowing journey into the eye of Hurricane Milton just hours before it made landfall on the Florida coast, reports Cape {town} Etc.

Also read: Hurricane Milton: The Category 3 storm devastating Florida’s coast

The hurricane caused extensive damage on Wednesday, 9 October, along Florida’s Gulf Coast and the strong winds, violent storms and flooding continue.

On 9 October, around 8pm, the cyclone produced winds of approximately 205kph.

The gusty wind specifically hit the city of Siesta Key in Florida and it proved to be the strongest windfall stemming from the hurricane.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Aircraft Operations shared footage of their efforts to map Hurricane Milton’s path, aiding in life-saving forecasts.

Watch here:

The footage captures the NOAA crew flying directly into the storm, experiencing extreme turbulence.

A video from NOAA engineer Nick Underwood shows torrential rain pounding the Lockheed WP-3D Orion as it approaches Hurricane Milton’s eye.

Inside the aircraft, items are tossed around while crew members cling to their seats, secured only by their seatbelts.

Posting a video of their trip, the crew wrote: ‘Bumpy ride into Hurricane Milton on NOAA WP-3D Orion.’

Public Affairs Specialist for NOAA Aircraft Operations Center, Jonathan Shannon, told the New York Post that the team has to do these trips because the team on the ground ‘cannot get this important data our forecasters need at this scale and resolution any other way.’

Associated Press News has reported that more than 3 million homes and businesses have been left powerless since the storm hit the States.

Also read:

SA teacher found dead in Cambodia after being reported missing

Picture: @NOAA_HurrHunter / Screenshot / X

Article written by