CNN’s Anderson Cooper was struck in the face with a piece of debris as TV journalists were blown around by Hurricane Milton while reporting in Florida last night.
Cooper was standing next to the Manatee River in Bradenton in treacherous conditions when a piece of debris appeared from nowhere and smacked him in the face. “Okay, that wasn’t good,” Cooper remarks. “We’ll probably go inside shortly.”
“That wasn’t good”: Anderson Cooper gets whacked by debris whilst reporting at the water’s edge. #HurricaneMilton pic.twitter.com/T8pAh6SwpZ
— 𝚂𝚎á𝚗 𝙾’𝚂𝚑𝚎𝚊 Global News (@ConsumerSOS) October 10, 2024
Cooper was far from the only journalist positioned in Florida. His colleague Bill Weir was in St. Petersburg last night — close to where Milton made landfall — and while reporting in wild conditions he had his hat blown off and he almost lost his footing.
Want to know what it feels like to be inside a hurricane? Turn on @CNN. Here’s @BillWeirCNN losing his hat a few minutes ago: pic.twitter.com/EZNnpz3K6e
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 10, 2024
Like Cooper, Robert Ray was in Bradenton reporting for Fox Weather, equipped with a helmet and safety goggles he was having to squat during his report to stay grounded. “It’s painful to stand out here in this,” Ray exclaims.
Rain and debris peppered FOX Weather Correspondent @RobertRayWx as Hurricane Milton slammed Florida Wednesday night. Robert and his team provide a raw, behind-the-scenes look at conditions on the ground, as winds gusting over 80 mph were measured nearby. https://t.co/w3anhWJYT9 pic.twitter.com/M5ziv8dwJ2
— FOX Weather (@foxweather) October 10, 2024
Meanwhile, on the Weather Channel, Jim Cantore was inside a Port Charlotte parking garage so he could be safe from flying debris. However, the parking lot he was in had been invaded by the ocean. “I’m literally standing in Charlotte Harbor which has taken over the parking area here.”
See the rising water in Charlotte Harbor with @JimCantore as Milton nears Florida: pic.twitter.com/DK3uYcEjWR
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) October 9, 2024
Deadline notes that Cantore went viral in 2022 while reporting on Hurricane Ian. He was hit by a tree live on air, here it is below.
Jim Cantore literally hit by a flying tree branch during a live report. Please get this man off the street. pic.twitter.com/D6UOizGArc
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) September 28, 2022
ABC news reporter Linsey Davis was in Sarasota where Milton hit, Davis says she saw an AC unit “fly off” amid a huge storm surge that brought waist-high water.
“This water has to be at least up to my waist — probably even deeper.”
An @ABC affiliate reporter from WPLG joins @LinseyDavis from Sarasota, Florida.Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday evening, bringing life-threatening storm surge and Category 3 winds. pic.twitter.com/BjpgT4Vxf6
— ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) October 10, 2024
However, there were lighter moments. On News Nation, a reporter was live in Tampa when a shirtless jogger causally passed by and gave a thumbs up. “Wow, there’s a Florida man right there jogging in the hurricane.”
Florida man seen on the news jogging in Tampa amid Hurricane Milton landfall 😭 pic.twitter.com/3Yt1z0Hs18
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) October 9, 2024
Many on X (formerly Twitter) questioned the need for reporters to stand out in winds over 100 miles per hour. “There is no reasonable purpose to these dangerous live hits,” writes Layne Bruce on X.
Hurricane Milton hit Florida as a Category 3 storm, pounding cities with winds of over 100 mph (160 kph) after producing a barrage of tornadoes. Tampa, which was expected to get a direct hit, was spared and instead, the storm tracked to the south in the final hours and made landfall Wednesday night in Siesta Key near Sarasota, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Tampa.