Groundbreaking 'Saildrone' Films Inside Powerful Hurricane Sam in Atlantic Ocean

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the firm Saildrone Inc released footage taken on September 30 by an ocean drone as it was buffeted by 120 mph winds and 50-foot waves powered by Hurricane Sam in the Atlantic Ocean.

The NOAA said in a press release that it was the first such footage “gathered by an uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) from inside a major hurricane barreling across the Atlantic Ocean.”

NOAA and Saildrone directed the drone, known as the Saildrone Explorer SD 1045, into Hurricane Sam. The storm is currently a Category 4 hurricane in the western Atlantic, but is not expected to impact the East Coast of the United States. Credit: Saildrone/NOAA via Storyful