Anderson Cooper Hit by Flying Piece of Debris During Hurricane Coverage

A viral clip of Anderson Cooper covering Hurricane Milton in Florida has sparked fan concern.

“And the water now is really starting to pour over. If you look at the ground …” Cooper, 57, said on a Wednesday, October 9, CNN broadcast before being hit in the face by a large piece of debris. “Whoa! OK, that wasn’t good. 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.”

Cooper was reporting live from Bradenton, Florida, on a pier as heavy rains and winds raged around 9 p.m. ET. Later on in the broadcast, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins assured viewers that her colleague was doing fine.

“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 OK,” Collins, 32, stated. “Just, obviously, understandably difficult to establish a connection when you’re seeing what’s happening with the wind and the rain and, obviously, the deteriorating conditions by the minute.”

Fans reacted to the moment via social media by sending well-wishes to Cooper. “Can someone get Anderson Cooper away from that railing before he’s washed away?” one fan captioned a clip of the reporter still on the pier at around midnight on Thursday, October 10.

Another X user wrote, “This guy is working hard tonight! Stay safe down there @AC360 … he still had some humor when he got smacked in the face with thankfully some styrofoam!”

Others joked that Cooper’s rough night earned him the right to drink on air during his and Andy Cohen‘s 2024 New Year’s Eve special; the network has previously banned the pair from doing so.

“CNN had better let Anderson Cooper black out on New Year’s Eve for this,” an X user wrote on Thursday, while another added, “Watching Anderson Cooper earn his NYE party.”

On Thursday, Cohen, 56, reposted a fan’s Instagram Story of them watching Cooper on CNN, which read, “We need @andersoncooper and @bravoandy for NYE. Please get this national treasure under cover. On top of the photo, Cohen wrote, “AGREE.”

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 storm, according to AP News. CNN reported on Thursday that the hurricane weakened to a Category 1 storm, with winds averaging around 90 mph.

The storm comes shortly after Hurricane Helene caused widespread destruction across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and other southern East Coast states late last month. Both hurricanes have caused multiple fatalities.

Cooper offered a glimpse at the hurricane’s impact via his Instagram Story on Wednesday. “Heading south in Florida,” he captioned a clip while driving down a relatively quiet highway as what looked like multiple ambulances drove in the opposite direction.

Amid the ongoing storm, Taylor Swift lent a helping hand by donating $5 million to Feeding America to assist people in need. “This contribution will help communities rebuild and recover, providing essential food, clean water, and supplies to people affected by these devastating storms,” the organization wrote in an Instagram statement on Wednesday.

The message continued: “Together, we can make a real impact in supporting families as they navigate the challenges ahead. Thank you, Taylor, for standing with us in the movement to end hunger and for helping communities in need.”