Thursday 29 September 2022 01:20 PM Incredible footage shows inside the plane at the epicentre of Cat 4 Hurricane ... trends now
This is the moment a weather plane flew through the eye of one of the strongest storms to hit the U.S. mainland in years in what was a truly terrifying journey.
Incredible footage from inside a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) aircraft showed the brave crew of 'hurricane hunters' being tossed around as they were buffeted by huge turbulence from Hurricane Ian.
Equipment rattled around the cabin and crewmembers were jolted out of their seats as a scarcely believable lightning storm raged outside the aircraft's windows, completely illuminating the night sky in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
NOAA engineer Nick Underwood, a six-year hurricane hunting veteran who captured the hair-raising clip said on Twitter: 'When I say this was the roughest flight of my career so far, I mean it. I have never seen the bunks come out like that... I've never seen so much lightning in the eye.'
The category 4 hurricane plowed into Florida's Gulf Coast with catastrophic force on Wednesday, unleashing howling 150mph winds, torrential rains and a treacherous wave of ocean surf which surged through thousands of homes.
Ian has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, but flood warnings are still in place across the state of Florida and 2 million have been left without power.
Equipment was strewn about the cabin, bunks fell out of their beds and huge lightning flashes were visible through the window
NOAA engineer Nick Underwood, a six-year hurricane hunting veteran, captured the hair-raising clip
Equipment rattled around the cabin and crewmembers were jolted out of their seats. NOAA engineer Nick Underwood captured the ordeal on camera
The International Space Station shared this image showcasing the incredible size of the hurricane on Wednesday
Hurricane Ian has left whole neighbourhoods in Florida underwater as it brought torrential rain and stormy weather to the state
A flooded street is seen in downtown as Hurricane Ian makes landfall in southwestern Florida, in Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. September 28, 2022
Speaking to NBC10 Boston, Underwood said: 'It was just a lot of turbulence in a lateral direction. Normally we get the up and down stuff, but getting tossed side to side is a lot more unnerving than you would expect.
'Something that sort of added to the environment was the amount of lightning, both in the eyewall, and then once we got into the eye even. I've never seen so much lightning inside of a hurricane.'
Hurricane hunting is a vital pursuit. While satellites are able to track hurricanes and provide
