Hurricanes are destructive forces and should always be treated with caution if you’re in the storm’s path. Despite that, it seems like every year there’s a major hurricane set to hit the coast of the United States, meteorologists all go toward the storm to cover it. Occasionally, and probably not surprisingly, they find themselves getting hurt by the storm itself (or squaring off with locals). This happened recently with Hurricane Ian, as a viral video showed a news anchor getting knocked over by a tree branch while trying to report.
The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore is more or less famous for reporting in the worst weather situations, and while he’s usually able to stay safe, this time he wasn’t so lucky. Take a look at the video posted on Twitter below, in which Cantore catches a tree branch to the leg while trying to withstand the high winds of Hurricane Ian:
Jim Cantore literally hit by a flying tree branch during a live report. Please get this man off the street. pic.twitter.com/D6UOizGArcSeptember 28, 2022
A tree branch whipping into a leg at that speed has to sting, but Jim Cantore remained the consummate professional that he is, and he continued to report on the storm. Granted, he struggled to do much more than brace himself against a street sign in an attempt to hold himself upright against the high winds of Hurricane Ian.
Many folks on the internet echo the statement of the tweet above, and they think Jim Cantore paid his dues for being out in the storm. Getting hit with a tree branch is enough, and as anyone who has been in one of those storms knows, it can always be worse. Had he been hit with something metal or a larger object, this could’ve been a very serious situation.
With all of that said, some might find it hilarious that Jim Cantore hasn’t reacted to the moment on his Instagram or Twitter. Getting hit with an object during a hurricane would be a story that most people tell the rest of their lives, but when you’re someone who does this regularly, maybe not.
To be fair, though, Cantore’s faced some pretty devastating storms in his day, so maybe this tree branch was about as meaningful to him as any other tree branch. From a lore standpoint, this would be the second time he’s managed to face off against flying wood in a hurricane and survived. In 2018 he almost caught a 2x4 to the face during Hurricane Michael, and now he’s victorious in this latest incident. He may want to stop pressing his luck though and maybe submit to being one of those anchors who goes viral for his family running into shots or calling in sick.
Viral storm clips will always dominate the internet, but television is still king this time of year. Check out our 2022 TV schedule to see what new and returning shows are premiering in the coming weeks, and ready to capture the attention of viewers.
