Heart-stopping footage shows plane withstand extreme turbulence while flying through Hurricane Milton

An aircraft flying through Hurricane Milton was seen shaking and jerking aggressively as it endured extreme turbulence.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, also known as “hurricane hunters,” flew through the Category 5 hurricane toward the west coast of Florida on Tuesday.

A group of brave researchers were on board and conducted vital research, including predicting the path and future strength of the hurricane.

Outside the WP-3D Orion named ‘Missy Piggy’ the sky was dark gray as rain pounded against the plane’s window.

The video showed the crew members holding on tight to the plane as the ride turned rocky.

Outside the plane the sky was gray and the rain was beating against the window

A huge shudder caused the team’s supplies to fall to the ground as it fell over one of the Hurricane Hunters.

“Holy c***,” one of the passengers can be heard saying as he looks around the plane and sees the damage done.

After about two frantic minutes, the plane seemed to enter clearer ground. The turbulence decreased and the sky looked lighter.

The flight was intended to help researchers and forecasters better understand the storm, the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center posted alongside the video on X.

In a pre-flight briefing for a similar mission, NOAA flight director Sofia de Solo explained the goals of the risky plane ride.

A massive jolt destroyed the inside of the flight, leaving supplies scattered across the floor

Passengers held on tight to weather the turbulence

“This data is used at the National Hurricane Center to improve forecasts and the data is fed into the models,” she said.

The Solo explained that the storm is “draining air at a very rapid pace.”

“This is a very strong storm with very intense impacts,” she added.

The importance of understanding this storm is heightened because it is expected to hit the same places devastated by Hurricane Helene, which claimed more than 230 lives.

The plane tilted back and forth for about two minutes

Hurricane Milton is expected to hit Florida communities hard

In an update from the National Hurricane Center on Tuesday, Hurricane Milton is expected to “make landfall on the Florida Gulf Coast as a dangerous major hurricane late Wednesday.”

The hurricane dropped to a Category 4 storm before increasing in intensity again to a Category 5 with sustained winds of 186 mph.

Frightened Floridians are bracing for the worst.

‘I’m leaving quickly this time. But when I come back, I just know there’s nothing to go back to,” Joe Barness, who had to be rescued from his waterfront home by a sheriff’s airboat during Hurricane Helene, told DailyMail.com.

“The wind will push that salty water like never before. Every house in this neighborhood is doomed.”

Florida residents were warned about Milton on Sunday when it was only categorized as a tropical storm off the coast of Mexico.

Milton started out as a tropical storm but is now a Category 5 hurricane

In preparation for widespread chaos and danger, the government. Ron DeSantis led emergency efforts.

According to the governor’s website, the Florida Department of Health has deployed more than 200 emergency response vehicles.

Roads are actively cleared of debris and fuel supplies are replenished by the Ministry of Transport.