If you thought photos of Hurricane Milton were terrifying, try looking at drone footage. That's right, the inside of Hurricane Milton has been captured and the drone footage gathered shows massive 28 foot waves. People across the globe are getting an up-close look at some of the devastation this hurricane has caused, and it is just the beginning.
Hurricane Milton Makes A Big Impact
Shutterstock Photo by Triff
As if high wind speeds and flooding weren't enough now let's add massive waves to the mix. The devastation caused by Hurricane Milton has been insane and some argue that it is just getting started. The massive waves were caused by the speed of the wind tunneling through the area.
The wind speed has caused the waves to rise to an incredible 28.12 feet tall. Although the storm has now been reduced to a category one, meteorologists initially classified it as a category five when it first began. Unilad shares that there was even some debate about including further categories because the wind had been so powerful.
Luckily, by the time Hurricane Milton struck Florida it was no longer considered a category five. However, do not be too relieved, it was still considered a category three. With winds between 111-129 mph it is no wonder that so much devastating damage occurred. Even places that were extremely well prepared, like Disney World or the Tampa Zoo, still suffered negative impacts.
Drone Footage Shows Massive Waves During Hurricane Milton
Inside Hurricane Milton, @saildrone reported wave height of 28.12 feet and wind gusts as strong as 75.95 mph while 40 nautical miles from the center of the storm. This research represents a collaborative endeavor to better understand the role of the ocean in hurricanes. pic.twitter.com/gmaUopPEWj
— NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Lab (@NOAA_AOML) October 9, 2024
Yesterday NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Lab and Saildrone captured the footage of the massive waves. During the time the drone captured footage of these massive waves, meteorologists still considered Hurricane Milton a category three storm.
Unilad shares that the footage captured from the drone was "40 nautical miles from the center of the storm." In their post, NOAA explains the purpose of sending their drone out to capture the footage is for research purposes. They elaborate, "This research represents a collaborative endeavor to better understand the role of the ocean in hurricanes."
We hope that this drone footage of massive waves helps the researchers better understand the connection between the ocean and hurricanes. With more research and a more thorough understanding we can all better prepare for and potentially even prevent the destruction caused by hurricanes like hurricane Milton.
