Storm chaser pilot flew into Hurricane Ian says Florida storm worst in his career

'Worst of my career': Nick Underwood piloted a plane heading into the eye of Hurricane Ian. Photo / Twitter @TheAstroNick

A veteran hurricane hunter who intentionally flew into the eye of Hurricane Ian said it was one of the worst of his career.

"I've never seen so much lightning in an eye," Nick Underwood said on Wednesday.

Tweeting a video from NOAA42 - a special flight from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, known as Kermit - Underwood shared a video of crew and objects bouncing around the inside of the plane.

"When I say this was the roughest flight of my career so far, I mean it," he wrote "I have never seen the bunks come out like that. There was coffee everywhere. I have never felt such lateral motion."

When I say this was the roughest flight of my career so far, I mean it. I have never seen the bunks come out like that. There was coffee everywhere. I have never felt such lateral motion.

Aboard Kermit (#NOAA42) this morning into Hurricane #Ian. Please stay safe out there. https://t.co/DQwqBwAE6v pic.twitter.com/gvV7WUJ6aS

— Tropical Nick Underwood (@TheAstroNick) September 28, 2022

The Lockheed WP-3D Orion out of Houston over the gulf of Mexico into the category-4 hurricane, to monitor the storm.

Underwood said that it was unlike anything he had seen in his six years of flying into America's worst weather systems.

Flying the special mission from shortly before 3am on Wednesday, the sky was lit by almost constant electrical storms.

Sharing a picture of the eye of the storm, the plane's wing was lit up as if by daylight.

"This was the eye. You can see the curvature. Understand this is at NIGHT. The light is from LIGHTNING."

NOAA42 'Kermit' flew into the heart of the category 4 Hurricane on Wednesday. Photo / Flightradar24; Screenshot

Wednesday's seven hour mission over the West coast of Florida was a data-gathering mission.

"There is potential it opens the door for new and interesting data sets. We're looking to see how it performs," he wrote, ahead of the flight.

'Worst of my career': Nick Underwood has flown into the US's worst storms for the past 6 years. Photo / Twitter @TheAstroNick

The measurements made during the flight would be used to help inform reports on the ground in the path of the storm and help prepare the state for future weather events.

"Want to stress we don't this for fun. It's a public service. We go up there to gather data on the storm that can keep folks on the ground safe."

The galley in disarray after flying through the once-in-500-year hurricane. Photo / Twitter; TheAstroNick

US President Joe Biden said Hurricane Ian could be the deadliest in Florida's history as the state still gathers itself from the one in 500 year event.

Several of Florida's busiest airports – including the seventh largest in the world, Orlando International Airport (MCO) – suspended operations on Wednesday.

Even as Ian was downgraded to a Category 3 Storm it caused flooding and damage across the state.