Video: Hurricane Hunters tossed by turbulence while flying into eye of Hurricane Melissa

Hurricane Hunters enter eye of Hurricane Melissa

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released footage on Wednesday of Hurricane Hunters heading straight into the eye of Hurricane Melissa.

CARIBBEAN SEA - Hurricane Hunters entered the eye of Hurricane Melissa to collect critical data that helps improve forecasts and research, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The backstory:

Footage released on Wednesday shows a flight crew experiencing intense turbulence as they collected data from the eye of the store as it swept across the Caribbean Sea.

READ: Hurricane Melissa death toll climbs after massive storm rips through Caribbean

The NOAA’s Aircraft Operations Center captured video aboard its Lockheed WP-3D Orion aircraft, Kermit, as it was buffeted by winds near the storm’s eye.

Dig deeper:

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on Oct. 28 as a Category 5 storm. The storm came ashore again in Cuba early Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane, and also caused damage in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.