US Politics | The Weather Channel viewers shocked as Jim Cantore is struck by tree live on air as he braves Hurricane Ian
DRAMATIC footage has captured the moment a weather forecaster was knocked over by a tree while reporting on Hurricane Ian. The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore was being pummelled by rains and 100mph gusts as he delivered a bulletin in Punta Gorda, Florida on Wednesday. Twitter/Breaking911The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore was struck by a tree while reporting on Hurricane Ian '/ ' GettyThe meteorologist was updating viewers on Hurricane Ian when the accident happened (stock pic) '/ ' Dramatic footage captured the moment a tree hurtled toward Cantore, tripping him up. Cantore put his hands on the road as he tried to break the impact of the fall. He then clambered over to a traffic signal that was being battered by the winds. Cantore said: "Give me a second" as he tried to regain his composure. read more on hurricane ian STORM DANGER Wild video shows shark in surge waters of Hurricane Ian as storm slams Florida BLACKOUT Hurricane Ian knocks out ENTIRE Cuban grid as 'apocalypse' storm barrels toward US He later described Hurricane Ian as "one of the worst" storms that he had covered. He said: "It may be the worst in terms of covering over 25 years and 90 storms." One stunned fan posted: ...Holy c**p.... While, another was left shocked as they said: ...Jeez insane.... And, a third said: ...It's so dangerous in Punta Gorda, FL.... Meanwhile, others wondered why the reporter was presenting in the storm. The scary moment came just years after he had to duck from a flying piece of wood while reporting on Hurricane Michael. Hurricane Ian continues to batter Florida after it made landfall just after 3pm ET on Wednesday. The storm made landfall near Fort Myers – around 24 miles from Punta Gorda. More than two million Floridians are without power after transformers exploded and power lines were downed by the winds. ...DESTRUCTIVE AND VIOLENT' Road signs were picked up by the winds and hurled down highways. FOX Weather reporter Robert Ray branded Ian as ...complex, destructive and violent... as he shared footage of widespread flooding from Fort Myers. Fort Myers saw a record high storm surge of 7.66 meters, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration revealed. And, a shark was seen thrashing around in the rising flood waters. Retiree Jim O'Brien, who lives in Cape Coral, told the New York Times that his house has been flooded. He said: "It was pretty ugly. We had high winds, high surge, and more than four inches of water in the house." Meanwhile, an emergency room at a hospital in Port Charlotte was flooded and part of the intensive care unit's roof was ripped off. Dr Birgit Bodine, of HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital, revealed that patients on ventilators had to be evacuated. Bodine added: "As long as our patients do OK and nobody ends up dying or having a bad outcome, that's what matters." Footage showed firefighters emptying a flooded truck in Naples amid fears that it might catch on fire. The National Hurricane Center has said that Ian is "expected to emerge over the Atlantic" later on Thursday and it's likely to deliver ...flooding rains.... The storm has since weakened as winds of 75mph have since been reported, according to the NHC. Forecasters have warned that between 12-18 inches of rain could fall across central and northeastern Florida as the storm passes over the Sunshine State. Up to 30 inches of rain could be seen in some areas, according to meteorologists. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned: "This is going to be a nasty, nasty, two days." He predicted that Ian would be among the top five hurricanes ever to hit Florida. Read More on The US Sun HUNT GOES ON Bullet found by Debbie Collier's remains 'may have forced her to obey killer' TIME FOR ANSWERS Serena Williams' stepmom to be grilled by lawyers as she loses star's home States of emergency have since been declared in North Carolina and Virginia as officials prepare resources to deal with the fallout of Ian in the coming days. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said: "Hurricane Ian is a large, powerful storm, and current predictions indicate that it may impact parts of Virginia later this week into early next week." Twitter/Breaking911Cantore put his hands on the road as he tried to break the impact of the fall '/ ' ReutersRoads in Fort Myers are underwater following storm surge '/ '
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