Saildrone SD-1045 Captures 65-Foot Waves in Hurricane Isaias as 103-Mph Gusts Hit
Updated
Updated · Fox Weather · Oct 10
Saildrone SD-1045 Captures 65-Foot Waves in Hurricane Isaias as 103-Mph Gusts Hit
3 articles · Updated · Fox Weather · Oct 10
Summary
SD-1045 passed through Hurricane Isaias’ eye on Oct. 9 in the Gulf, capturing rare video and storm data from inside the Category 3 system.
The 7-meter uncrewed vessel, operated by Saildrone with NOAA, recorded gusts above 103 mph and waves up to 20 meters—about 65 feet—while intercepting the storm about 150 nautical miles south of Pensacola.
A second vessel, SD-1057, sampled Isaias’ eastern quadrant about 170 nautical miles west of Sarasota, extending the mission’s coverage as the hurricane moved toward Florida.
Isaias later made landfall near Destin around 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 10 as a Category 2 storm with 105 mph sustained winds.
SD-1045 has flown every Saildrone-NOAA hurricane mission since 2021 and previously captured the first video from inside a major hurricane at sea during Hurricane Rachel.