Weather Channel meteorologist Jim Cantore was pulled to the ground by a flying tree branch as he attempted to deliver a report in Hurricane Ian’s path on Wednesday.
Cantore was struggling to deliver an on-the-street report in sustained 61 mph winds from Punta Gorda, Florida, near where the Category 4 beast made landfall. He was struck in the leg by a tree branch, which pulled him to the ground.
As he was trying to retreat to safety, he held on to a street sign, telling his cameraman: “I’m fine. I just can’t stand up.”
Ian made landfall in Florida near Cayo Costa, roughly 90 miles south of Tampa, on Wednesday afternoon, after barreling toward the Gulf Coast with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph. It led to power outages, surging floodwaters and wild winds, causing significant damage across the region. At least one fatality was reported in connection to the storm.
The hurricane is expected to move up the coast, bringing a “life-threatening storm surge” on Thursday and Friday to northeast Florida and parts of Georgia and South Carolina.
It’s the strongest storm to hit Florida since the devastating Hurricane Michael in 2018.
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