Risk-taking pilot takes stunning photos from inside ‘hurricane of the century’

A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reconnaissance aircraft has flown directly into the eye of Hurricane Melissa, taking incredible footage from inside the storm.

The monster Category 5 storm has been called “the hurricane of the century" by that meteorologists. The daring mission took place as Melissa barreled toward Jamaica’s coast, bringing winds of up to 185 mph.

According to the NOAA, the storm is among the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic.

To study the storm, NOAA’s “Hurricane Hunters” deployed a Lockheed WC-130 aircraft, a modified version of the C-130 Hercules designed to withstand extreme weather. The crew dropped scientific probes directly into the storm’s lowest pressure zones to collect real-time data on wind speed, temperature and pressure, crucial information for improving future forecasting models.

Stunning Footage from the Eye of the Hurricane

Video captured from inside the aircraft shows the plane battling through dense walls of rotating clouds before emerging into the hurricane’s eye, a surreal zone of calm surrounded by chaos. The footage reveals an eerie, open-sky center encircled by towering thunderclouds — a rare view even for veteran storm chasers.

Jamaica suffered a direct strike from Hurricane Melissa and early reports indicate catastrophic damage along parts of the coast. Local officials say the island has never before experienced a storm of this strength. Communication blackouts and power outages have made it difficult to fully assess the damage, but emergency crews are working to restore essential services.

The mission marks one of the most extreme operations in NOAA’s history, offering a rare, firsthand look inside a Category 5 hurricane. Scientists say the data gathered could help improve early-warning systems and storm prediction models, potentially saving lives in future disasters.

Beyond the science, Hurricane Melissa’s unprecedented intensity underscores the growing risks of climate-driven extreme weather. Meteorologists say the storm’s rapid intensification and destructive power highlight the urgent need for better forecasting, coastal defenses, and climate adaptation strategies across the Caribbean and the Gulf region.

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