Story behind the storm: Many reporters took a lashing from Hurricane Gustav
12:17 p.m. Wednesday, September 3, 2008
An ominous pulsating blob, that is Hurricane Gustav, jiggling drops on the lens. Time once again for reporters to vie for the title of most weather-beaten.
Here's a smattering:
"Gustav coming ashore right now."
"Make my way over to pole -- think I'll be okay."
"...good grief."
"This is starting to hurt, hurts a lot. Back to you guys."
"Whoa, there's some debris blowing around and we want to get outta the way."
That last reporter wanted to get out of the way, but not out of camera range, but Gustav's fury doesn't care about framing up an anchor or reporter.
With so much danger and damage, weatherman Al Roker was lucky to lose just his hat.
"Sorry... so much for that hat."
It was CNN's Ali Velshi's very first hurricane. He almost looked like he would be blown away at any moment. When CNN came back later to Ali's deserted position, the anchor said "we assure you he did not blow away."
Actually he couldn't blow away; he was tethered.
Ali wasn't the only one hanging on for dear life. Geraldo Rivera was out with his wind gauge.
"Over 50-60 mph gusts here. If you can see into the eye of this coming... I don't want to get the lens too wet."
All morning camera people were wiping and wiping and wiping.
Rivera spotted a guy in the water.
"You see right there... There's a person stranded. There's a person. I'm telling cops. He's swimming. He's got a lifeline. Oh, my God," Rivera said.
Turns out the swimmer had intentionally gone in the water to attach a line to a propane tank to keep it from causing damage. Rivera was fearless or foolhardy, take your pick, charging up to levees as water gushed over the top. He eventually retreated.
Some windblown reporters pointed out other windblown reporters in shorts.
Others ducked flying cardboard, but better flying cardboard than flying reporters.
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