An ocean drone captured the moment a mammoth 28-foot-high wave crashed down as Hurricane Milton passed through the Gulf of Mexico.
The unmanned craft, known as a Saildrone, recorded the 28.12-foot wave 40 nautical miles from the center of Milton at around 1 p.m. EST on Wednesday as wind gusts reached 75.98 mph. Saildrone provides ocean mapping and data to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The video captures the powerful impact the ferocious storm was having at sea before it made landfall in western Florida late Wednesday.
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“This research represents a collaborative endeavor to better understand the role of the ocean in hurricanes,” NOAA wrote in a post on X, sharing the video.
Researchers with the NOAA have been busy analyzing and collecting data on Hurricane Milton, which helps forecast storms’ paths and intensity.
On Tuesday, flight missions by the Aircraft Operations Center’s WP-3D Orion #NOAA43 plane, which is affectionately called “Miss Piggy,” flew into the eye of the storm collecting data as it barreled toward Florida. Scientists on board measured the storm’s pressure, humidity, temperature, wind direction and speed to provide a detailed look at the structure of the storm and its intensity.
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The hurricane passed through the Sunshine State overnight, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the storm was “significant,” while observing that it was “not the worst-case scenario.”
The storm also spawned multiple tornadoes across southern Florida, wreaking even more havoc amid the storm surge.
At least four people were killed Wednesday after two tornadoes touched down at a senior community in St. Lucie County.
St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson said search and rescue crews were mobilizing to find victims in Spanish Lakes Country Club in Fort Pierce, where significant tornadoes ripped through the area.
First responders began search and rescue missions at first light Thursday morning after conditions dipped below hurricane-force winds.
The state has deployed some 10,000 National Guard members, roughly 3,000 of whom have been sent by other states.
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