Hurricane Melissa gust hits 252 mph as storm hunters survive near-disaster

A reconnaissance flight by the US Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron encountered extreme turbulence while probing the eyewall of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa, prompting the crew to abort the mission for safety. The unit, flying a Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules under the call sign TEAL 75, reported violent jolts and rapid altitude changes as the storm intensified. The aircraft was repeatedly tossed near the eyewall, with instruments showing a vertical swing of roughly 700 feet within a single minute. Preliminary notes indicated the g-forces were severe enough to potentially stress the airframe. The mission commander diverted the flight and returned to base in Curaçao, where the aircraft underwent inspection. Despite the punishing conditions, the crew successfully deployed a dropsonde that recorded a central pressure of 893 millibars and a near-surface wind gust of 252 miles per hour, a reading described as the highest gust measured by a dropsonde in a hurricane on record. The team spent more than 35 minutes operating within the eye before exiting. The unprecedented measurements add critical data for forecasters tracking Melissa, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms observed this season, and underscore the risks routinely faced by hurricane hunters when gathering life-saving observations.