A US Air Force “Hurricane Hunters” crew flew straight into the eye of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa. Their thrilling footage reveals the storm’s eerie calm center, known as the “stadium effect,” amid raging winds.
The daring mission collected vital data for the National Hurricane Center. Melissa, the strongest storm of 2025, is set to slam Jamaica on Tuesday—the most powerful to hit the island since records began in 1851.
Videos shared on X show the plane entering the eye from the southeast at sunrise. A bright arc lights the northwest eyewall as dawn breaks over the top.
Another clip captures the eye’s stadium-like shape. Eyewall clouds curve outward with height, creating a massive, open arena in the sky.
The crew made five passes total. The final one exited the southeast corner just after noon.
Melissa heads to Cuba Tuesday evening, then the Bahamas overnight. It poses no threat to the US.
Jamaica braces for up to 13-foot storm surges in Kingston, home to the airport and power plants. Over 50,000 customers lost power. Landslides and fallen trees blocked roads.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness said he prayed on his knees. At least three died in Haiti, one in the Dominican Republic, with another missing. Jamaica reports three deaths.
No Category 4+ storm has struck Jamaica in 174 years. Hurricane Gilbert hit as Category 3 in 1988. Ivan and Beryl were Category 4 but stayed offshore.
