A video shows the moment an aircraft collides with Milton as it collects data from the hurricane, which is expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday.
Hurricane Milton has been called the “storm of the century” by U.S. President Joe Biden. “We haven’t had this potential impact in over 100 years,” he said on Tuesday, as residents in Florida braced themselves for the possible destruction to come.
The video — shared in a Facebook post by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Tuesday — starts off with a view of the outside, where water can be seen streaming across the window, and then pans to inside the aircraft. It appears to be a bumpy, but stable ride. Then, about 20 seconds into filming, a major jolt sends items flying as crew members brace themselves. The aircraft suddenly tilts upwards as items on the plane slide toward to the back of the aircraft.
“Can you grab my phone real quick?” asks the crew member filming the video.
“Damn,” he says, as he shows the back of the plane, with loose items strewn laying on the floor.
Another crew member eventually passes his phone back to him, as the aircraft steadies.
The aircraft, nicknamed “Miss Piggy,” is a Lockheed WP-3D Orion and is used as a “hurricane hunter,” by NOAA.
“NOAA’s WP-3D Orions are equipped with a unique array of scientific instrumentation, radars and recording systems for measurements of the atmosphere, the earth and its environment,” per NOAA.
The data collected from such flights “helps improve forecasts and support hurricane research.”
The hurricane is expected to make landfall in the Gulf Coast of Florida late Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said in a post on X. In an update on Wednesday morning, the centre urged residents to “ensure you are in your safe location before the onset of strong winds or possible flooding.”
Evacuations should be “rushed to completion” as of Wednesday morning, per the centre. Preparations should be made to protect life and property, the centre said, as well as for lengthy power outages.
Milton is threatening the Tampa Bay area, which is home to more than 3.3 million people and has managed to evade a direct hit from a major hurricane for more than 100 years. Milton is also menacing other stretches of Florida’s west coast that were battered when Helene came ashore on Sept. 26.
With additional reporting by the Associated Press
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