Hurricane Hunters Fly Critical Missions Into Hurricane Melissa

Must-see video: Record-setting drone deployed inside Melissa, one of the most powerful hurricanes to date

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hurricane Hunters threw just about everything they had at Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 hurricane which tied the record for the strongest landfalling Atlantic hurricane on record when it slammed western Jamaica on Oct. 28. including a state-of-the-art drone that set a flight record and captured footage in the storm. While the raw strength of Hurricane Melissa broke records, the Black Swift S0-AD …

Hurricane Hunters Fly Critical Missions Into Hurricane Melissa

The Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron returned to Keesler Air Force Base Oct. 30, 2025, following a forward deployment to Curaçao where they gathered weather data from Hurricane Melissa for National Hurricane Center forecasts.