"Watching Anderson Cooper earn his NYE party" — Internet reacts to CNN host getting hit by debris during on-field Hurricane Milton coverage

Anderson Cooper, a known CNN anchor, is trending on social media after he had to face an unexpected situation while covering Hurricane Milton in Florida. The broadcaster was hit by flying debris while speaking on camera.

The incident happened on October 9, 2024, and Cooper was spotted struggling in the rain as he tried to give updates related to the hurricane to the audience. Anderson was heard saying in the video before being hit by the debris:

“The water now is really starting to pour over. If you look at the ground, whoa-”

After the debris (seemingly white styrofoam) hit Cooper, he said in response:

“Okay, that wasn’t good. Um, 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.”

While the moment went viral on different platforms, netizens shared their reactions through X (formerly Twitter), with a few of them seemingly posting funny responses to the moment. One netizen wrote:

The lineup of funny reactions continued on the platform.

“CNN had better let Anderson Cooper black out on New Year’s Eve for this,” one X user wrote.

“Assuming Anderson Cooper isn’t swept out to sea tonight, our next group watch of him will be when he’s drunk off one shot of tequila on NYE. Man contains multitudes,” another X user said.

A section of the public also expressed concern for the anchor as he covered the on-ground reports in harsh conditions.

“Can someone get Anderson Cooper away from that railing before he’s washed away,” another X user mentioned.

“I like how CNN sees no problem with putting Anderson Cooper smack dab in the center of Hurricane Milton but somehow draw the line at letting him drink on New Year’s Eve,” another X user stated.

“CNN got my Anderson Cooper out there fighting for his life,” another netizen wrote.

Similar reactions continued from social media users.

“No news story is worth having people out there. It’s disturbing,” one person said.

“Why do reporters do this @ConsumerSOS? We all get it! Don’t risk your lives for this,” another X user stated.

“I wish journalists would not put themselves in danger to get the story. Far too many are injured or worse for a story,” another person said.

Meanwhile, CNN anchor Kaitlin Collins later confirmed to the viewers that Cooper was safe. She further stated:

“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 okay. Just obviously understandably difficult to establish a connection when you’re seeing what’s happening with the wind and the rain.”

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Anderson Cooper has been a part of CNN since 2001

Also known as Anderson Hays Cooper, his work as a broadcast journalist has been praised by the public over the years. He even became a recipient of various accolades, including multiple Emmy Awards alongside two Peabody Awards.

He officially joined CNN in 2001 and began hosting his show, 360°, around two years later. The show has aired more than 1,000 episodes until now and it has covered various on-ground breaking news events, including the Haiti earthquake that happened back in 2010.

Anderson Cooper also hosted a documentary titled Planet in Peril alongside Sanjay Gupta and Jeff Corwin. He even narrated a Broadway revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and was the guest host of the popular game show, Jeopardy!

Apart from CNN, Cooper also worked for Channel One and ABC in the past. He served as a co-anchor of the World News Now and has made guest appearances as a co-host of Live with Kelly and Mark on a few occasions.

Although he is known for covering events that created headlines for different reasons, he gained recognition for on-ground reporting of Hurricane Katrina back in 2005. He also received the National Order of Honour and Merit, the highest honor granted by the Haitian government for his coverage of the Haiti earthquake in 2010.