WATCH: Saildrone captures video from inside Hurricane Helene

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – As Hurricane Helene churns in the Gulf of Mexico, cutting-edge technology from Saildrone, Inc. is giving us a firsthand look at the storm’s incredible power. A Saildrone unmanned surface vehicle (USV), SD-1083, captured stunning video footage from inside the storm.

On Thursday, SD-1083 was positioned approximately 100 nautical miles north-northeast of Hurricane Helene’s edge at 12:45 UTC. By 17:46 UTC, the unmanned vehicle found itself just 95 nautical miles from the hurricane’s eye, experiencing massive waves and intense wind gusts. The video and data collected offer a rare glimpse of the storm’s approach from the safety of an advanced drone.

The footage, shared courtesy of Saildrone and NOAA, shows waves reaching several meters high, while wind gusts peaked at 24.53 knots, showcasing the raw force of nature as the storm bears down. This visual documentation of the hurricane’s impact is not only remarkable for its clarity but also significant in providing scientists with real-time data from inside a major storm system.

Saildrone USVs like SD-1083 are designed to operate in the world’s most extreme ocean environments. Founded in 2012 by Richard Jenkins, Saildrone has developed a fleet of unmanned ocean drones used for scientific research, ocean mapping, and environmental monitoring. Partners like NOAA, NASA, and leading research institutions around the world rely on the Saildrone fleet for data collection that was once too dangerous or inaccessible for human researchers.

In the case of Hurricane Helene, the footage gathered by the Saildrone will help scientists better understand the behavior of hurricanes and how they intensify. This is especially crucial as climate change continues to impact the frequency and strength of these powerful storms.

Saildrone’s unmanned vehicles have previously provided critical data for oceanic and atmospheric research, and their work in hurricane monitoring represents a breakthrough in storm prediction and safety measures. By venturing into the heart of Hurricane Helene, the Saildrone team, in partnership with NOAA, is helping to push the boundaries of what is possible in terms of storm tracking and data collection.

As more footage and data from SD-1083 and other Saildrones are expected over the next 24 hours, the world will have an unprecedented look at the behavior of a hurricane as it unfolds in real-time.

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