Weather Channel reporter hit by tree branch as he reports from inside Hurricane Ian

A reporter on the ground in Florida to greet Category 4 Hurricane Ian was buffeted about by more than just power gusts of wind.

Meteorologist Jim Cantore of the Weather Channel was visibly struggling in 61 mph winds – with gusts up to 110 mph – when a large tree branch flies in from off-camera and hits in in the leg, knocking him over, reports Insider. He can be heard grunting “Oof!”

“Alright, you know what? Think I’m just gonna come in here for a second,” Cantore said, chuckling.

Jim Cantore literally hit by a flying tree branch during a live report. Please get this man off the street. pic.twitter.com/D6UOizGArc

— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) September 28, 2022

He stumbled against the mighty winds and grabbed a street sign to hold his ground. Another street sign can be seen knocked down besides him.

“Jim, you alright?” called a member of the camera crew.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Cantore responded. “I, you just can’t stand up.”

Ian made landfall on Wednesday as a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds at 145 mph. It has since slowed to a tropical storm, but not before leaving hundreds of fatalities, untold property damage and 2.4 million power outages across the state.

In a later clip from under shelter, the reporter calls Ian “one of the worst hurricanes I have ever been in.”

”We have come up here for safety from the surge…and where we were earlier, it looks like there’s three or four feet of water. Waves crashing over the area from earlier this morning,” he says, motioning behind him to the storm.

Cantore is still struggling to stand. Palm trees can be seen bending to the hurricane’s winds.

 “This is one of the worst hurricanes I have ever been in. It may be the worst in terms of covering over 25 years and 90 storms,” he adds.