Drone footage captured a mammoth wave inside Hurricane Milton as the powerful storm passed through the Gulf of Mexico before crashing into Florida late Wednesday.
The storm made landfall near Siesta Key on state’s western coast as a Category 3 hurricane with 120 mph sustained winds. The storm was 75 miles east northeast of Cape Canaveral moving at 18 mph with 85-mph sustained winds, the National Hurricane Center said in its 8 a.m. update.
Prior to slamming into land, video shot by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration drone shows a massive 28-foot wave with wind gusts of nearly 76 miles per hour, crashing about 40 nautical miles from the center of Milton.
Footage shows a shaking drone appear to teeter back and forth, fighting high winds as the massive wave crashes, sloshing water about.
The wave was about the equivalent height of two female giraffes.
“This research represents a collaborative endeavor to better understand the role of the ocean in hurricanes,” the federal agency posted on X.
Live updates: Hurricane Milton leaves destruction across storm-weary Florida
Millions without power, homes destroyed, deaths reported
More than 3.2 million homes and businesses were dark early Thursday, according to USA TODAY power outage data the storm spawned tornadoes across the Sunshine State, and multiple deaths had been reported in the state.
Neighborhoods were flooded, homes destroyed and the roof of Tropicana Field torn off.
Meteorologist Tyler Fleming told USA TODAY Tampa Bay was spared a massive storm surge, but experienced a reverse storm surge, driving the sea away from the shore.
Florida Division of Emergency Management officials warned residents not to walk out into receding water.
“The water WILL return through storm surge and poses a life-threatening risk,” the agency posted on X.
🚨 STOP: Do not walk out into receding water in Tampa Bay – the water WILL return through storm surge and poses a life-threatening risk.
— FL Division of Emergency Management (@FLSERT) October 10, 2024
Follow USA TODAY’s live Hurricane Milton coverage here.
Contributing: John Bacon and Trevor Hughes
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Huge wave inside Hurricane Milton captured by NOAA drone: See video
