Comedian Ron White has a great bit about storms: "It isn't that the wind is blowing, it's what the wind is blowing." (You can watch it here). He's right, of course.
Keeping that in mind, we never quite understood why reporters stood outside during hurricanes. It's raining and windy and flooding. We get it, and there's no need to risk your life and safety to show us by sticking a reporter in some waders out on a street during the storm.
But they do it.
CNN's Anderson Cooper was in Florida covering Hurricane Milton, which made landfall yesterday.
He got slammed in the face with some debris.
WATCH:
“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
No, that wasn't good.
Anderson Cooper drilled in face by flying debris during live on-air Hurricane Milton report: ‘That wasn’t good’ https://t.co/T5s3oGSjAC pic.twitter.com/TEnglqpBIK
— New York Post (@nypost) October 10, 2024
CNN host Anderson Cooper experienced the the storm’s wrath firsthand.
Cooper was drilled in the face with flying debris as he gave a live report in the midst of the powerful winds brought on by Hurricane Milton Wednesday night.
Cooper, posted near the Manatee River, attempted to explain how the storm impacted the water when he was met with Milton’s wrath, 30 minutes after the storm made landfall on Florida’s west-central coast.
“You could see it in the light there, (the wind) is just whipping off the Manatee River. It’s coming in from the northeast and the water is really starting to pour over,” Cooper said.
“Whoa, OK, that wasn’t good,” Cooper added after he was struck. “We’ll probably go inside shortly.”
Recommended
Yeah, go inside and stay inside.
But sympathy was limited on X.
After his little “flooding” incident, I have a difficult time believing this wasn’t planned.
— Jessica O’Donnell 🏈 (@heckyessica) October 10, 2024
And given the stunts the media pull these days, wouldn't surprise us.
Oh no! I hope the debris is okay…
— Ava- I Love My USA! 🇺🇸 (@WEdwarda) October 10, 2024
Oof.
He got hit with styrofoam. I’m laying money on it was a set up. Nothing ever rings true or honest with this guy.
— MockingbirdShot (@MockingbirdShot) October 10, 2024
There's a lot of skepticism about this.
Moron!! He could have been killed right on camera, but the want to play stupid games, when the only prizes are STUPID.
— Yamil R. Sued (@Yamil_Sued) October 10, 2024
No need to get a story from the riverfront.
Literally, nobody is asking for Anderson Cooper to stand outside in the rain and wind and report on a hurricane we all know about. We have YouTube, man, we know what it looks like.
— Joey Smith 🇺🇸 (@joe_b_smitty) October 10, 2024
Literally no one.
I know this must be good for ratings, but news networks really, really do not need to put their anchors in the midst of deadly hurricanes for us to get the point. It's dangerous. It's also really stupid. https://t.co/UTuWawRb56
— Billy Binion (@billybinion) October 10, 2024
Yup. But that's par for the course for the media.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member