--- title: "Terrifying Video Shows Plane Plowing Through Hurricane Milton, Hitting Extreme Turbulence" description: "Footage shows an NOAA plane plowing through the center of Hurricane Milton, and experiencing extreme turbulences." date: "2024-10-09" modified: "2024-10-09" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/video-plane-noaa-hurricane-milton-turbulence" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "hurricane" - "NOAA" - "the digest" --- # Terrifying Video Shows Plane Plowing Through Hurricane Milton, Hitting Extreme Turbulence ![Footage shows an NOAA plane plowing through the center of Hurricane Milton, and experiencing extreme turbulences.]() *\Image: NOAA\* ## Hold on to Your Butts A brave hurricane hunter from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) filmed himself as the plane he was on hit extreme turbulence — while flying right through the center of Hurricane Milton on Tuesday. The agency's Aircraft Operations Center [described it in a tweet as a "bumpy ride."]() That's putting it lightly. The footage recorded by the NOAA's Nick Underwood shows equipment flying all over the place while passengers hold on to their seats for dear life, as they experience moments of weightlessness. The plane, a Lockheed WP-3D Orion dubbed "Miss Piggy," wasn't just hurtling through the "monster" storm just for fun. "These flights collect critical data that helps improve forecasts and support hurricane research," the [NOAA wrote in a Facebook post](). https://twitter.com/NOAA_HurrHunter/status/1843706785401843941 ## Hunting Hurricanes Hurricane Milton is shaping up to be what could be the "strongest storm in a century," as the [*New York Times* reports](). The storm is expected to make landfall later today, ripping into a highly populated area of Florida's coast. The last storm, Hurricane Helene, tore through the area less than two weeks ago, marking an incredibly dangerous hurricane season. The NOAA's National Hurricane Center has since issued advisories and "[marine warnings]()," forecasting extremely tall waves, maximum sustained winds of almost 150 mph, and gusts reaching 180 mph. The agency's plane was built in the 1970s and has been used to get a better sense of growing storms ever since. "The purpose of these missions is primarily to locate the center of the storm and measure central pressure and surface winds around the eye," the National Weather Service's director of public affairs Susan Buchanan [told *USA Today*](). The plane, "Miss Piggy," is one of two WP-3D Orions being used by the NOAA. The other plane is called Kermit, since the two Muppets "are such good friends and the two aircraft are very close," [according to the agency](). **More on the hurricane:** *[Make No Mistake: Climate Change Helped Turn Hurricane Milton Into a “Monster”]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()