Viral Video: Journalist Nearly Blown Away While Reporting On Hurricane Ian

Hurricane Ian has continued to batter the Florida peninsula with a catastrophic trifecta of high winds, heavy rain, and snow. The Internet is filled with videos of widespread flooding, property damage, and power outages.

Amid this catastrophic storm, a video of meteorologist Jim Cantore being literally knocked off his feet while covering Hurricane Ian is going viral.

Mr. Cantore was standing on the ground in the area of Fort Meyers, Florida, reporting on the Category 4 storm with gusts of 150 mph (240 kilometres per hour) when a tree branch struck him in the legs and caused him to fall.

The reporter struggled to stand up at that point, grabbing a street sign for assistance as a stop sign fell down behind him.

The reporter was unable to stand up due to the strong winds. He is seen saying in the video, "I just can't stand up. I'm gettin' blown over." 

Jim Cantore got hit by a flying tree branch during hurricane report pic.twitter.com/ybONC3VR51

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According to the hurricane centre, the storm surge off the west coast of Florida has crested and is starting to diminish as it advances inland.

Almost two million customers were without electricity in Florida Wednesday evening, out of a total of more than 11 million, with southwestern areas of the state the hardest hit, according to the PowerOutage.us tracking website.

Ian is set to affect several million people across Florida and in the southeastern states of Georgia and South Carolina.

As hurricane conditions spread, forecasters warned of a once-in-a-generation calamity.

"This is going to be a storm we talk about for many years to come," said National Weather Service director Ken Graham. "It's a historic event."

Florida's Governor, Ron DeSantis, said the state was going to experience a "nasty, nasty day, two days."

(With inputs from AFP)