Shocking moment storm chasers plane battered by Hurricane Milton as Florida braces for ‘storm of century’

9 October 2024, 10:17

This is the astonishing moment storm chasers enter the eye of Hurricane Milton as the record breaking storm prepares to smash into florida.

Millions have been forced to evacuate as the storm is set to hit the state within hours bringing with it 160mph wind and 15ft storm surges.

Footage shows scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) being thrown around the flight.

Follow the latest: LIVE: Millions of people scramble to flee Florida as ‘unsurvivable’ hurricane Milton due to hit coastline in hours

The aircraft named “Miss Piggy” was collecting data on the hurricane heading towards Tampa on Tuesday morning when the footage was captured.

The scientists are seen being hurled around the cabin and documents thrown into the cabin

When one huge jolt shakes the plane the man recording, Nick Underwood, puts his hand straight up to stop his head hitting the cabin.

Underwood drops his phone and wallet with them sliding across the cabin to his coworker who picks them up. But he is not able to return them as he has to use his hands to hold on to his seat.

The wind and rain is so thick that when the camera points out the window the end of the wing can’t be seen. But once they pass through the clouds and reach the eye of Hurricane Milton, the turbulence stops.

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Underwood took to X and posted about the flight after the footage was posted by NOAA.

He said: “Pardon my Appalachian hoots and hollers but this is right up there with the Ian flight from two years ago. Floor panels came up. Dropsondes broke. A mess in the cabin.

“All that turbulence and we still get the dropsonde out to collect data.”This is the job. Important work.”

The storm is set to be the worst to impact the Tampa area in more than 100 years according to the National Weather Service.

Flights have been cancelled and Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando are set to close in preparation for the storm.

Six passengers have been evacuated from one cruise ship after it became stranded off the coast of Florida.

Milton is currently 405 miles southwest of Tampa and is expected to cross the Gulf and make landfall just south of the city on Wednesday night.