As Hurricane Milton bears down on Florida, while most residents have taken refuge in their homes or sought shelter, some journalists are braving the elements to deliver live updates.
Among these intrepid reporters is CNN’s Anderson Cooper.
Cooper confronted winds reaching 120mph during a recent segment, raising alarms when debris struck him.
In response to the incident, Cooper reassured viewers, stating he and his team would ‘probably go inside shortly’.
In addition to Cooper, Fox Weather correspondent Robert Ray was on the ground covering the hurricane’s peak, experiencing a dangerous near-miss.
Ray and his team initially positioned themselves by Florida’s Manatee River. However, they were compelled to relocate when a towering pine tree almost toppled onto them and their equipment.
As Ray grappled with the intense winds threatening to unbalance him, he informed the newsroom: “We had a huge pine tree fall right in front of us, right by our vehicles. Part of it went inside the truck where Lloyd Alfred’s camera is.”
He went on to say: “We moved inland off of [the coast] because it was not safe with the tree debris.”
Although the tree’s dramatic fall wasn’t captured on film, Ray posted a brief video of the aftermath on his Twitter account.
Accompanying the video, he wrote: “Huge tree just fell minutes after I got into the vehicle after a live report. Wow!”
Viewers quickly expressed their relief at the team’s safety and praised Ray’s reporting.
“I am so glad you are safe and well, I wanted to thank you so much for your coverage,” one person commented.
“My mother and I were on the edge of our seats wondering if you would get absolutely blown away like some Looney Tunes character. I have not seen better tv. This is peak,” they added.
Another expressed: “Please stay safe… we are so grateful for your dedication to inform all of us the severity of the storm. We are keeping you and Lloyd in our prayers! We are keeping all of Florida in our prayers!”
According to the latest updates from CNN, Hurricane Milton’s eye is nearing its exit from Florida’s east coast.
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