Anderson Cooper is trooping through the storm.
On Wednesday, Oct. 9, the broadcaster, 57, was live on air for CNN when he got hit by debris while covering Hurricane Milton in Florida.
“The water now is really starting to pour over,” Cooper said as he spoke to viewers while soaked with rain. “If you at the ground, whoa -,” he continued before being hit by flying debris.
“Okay, that wasn’t good,” he added. “Um, we’ll probably go inside shortly, but you can see the amount of water here on the ground. This is water from the Manatee River.”
Assuring viewers of Cooper’s safety, CNN anchor Kaitlin Collins said, “I do want to note for everyone watching who is very concerned obviously about all of our correspondents and anchors on the ground, Anderson is okay.”
“Just obviously understandably difficult to establish a connection when you’re seeing what’s happening with the wind and the rain,” she continued. “And obviously the deteriorating conditions by the minute.”
Anderson Cooper covering Hurricane Milton.
CNN/Youtube
According to AP News, Hurricane Milton has been classified as a Category 3 storm, which hit Florida on Wednesday. CNN added that the storm then weakened to a Category 1, with winds of 90 mph, as it moved over Florida.
“Extremely dangerous category 3 Hurricane Milton makes landfall near Siesta Key Florida,” the National Hurricane Center wrote on Wednesday. “Life-threatening storm surge, extreme winds, and flash flooding occurring over the central Florida Peninsula.”
Anderson Cooper hit with flying debris.
CNN/Youtube
AP News also reported that many of the Gulf Coast and communities that had already been affected by Hurricane Helene were hit again with heavy rain and strong winds.
According to CNN, over three million people have been out of power due to the Hurricane, with around 16 inches of rain falling on St. Petersburg.
The outlet also reports that multiple fatalities have taken place in St. Lucie County, after a tornado ripped through a mobile home retirement community.
