Hurricane Milton: Weather Channel reporter makes crass Super Bowl joke in grim warning about deadly storm
A reporter for The Weather Channel made a joke about Super Bowl LI while warning viewers of the coming devastation caused by Hurricane Milton.
The deadly Category 3 storm crashed into Florida on Wednesday, battering the United States with ferocious winds of up to 125 mph.
A series of tornadoes struck the state Wednesday evening, leaving more than 1.3 million people without power.
Shocking footage showed tornadoes ripping through Florida neighborhoods, destroying power lines and overturning cars.
But on Wednesday evening, a clip emerged from a Weather Channel reporter broadcasting live from Sarasota.
A reporter for The Weather Channel made a crude joke about Super Bowl LI when discussing Hurricane Milton
A boat damaged by Hurricane Helene rests against a bridge before the arrival of Hurricane Milton, in South Pasadena, Florida, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
‘There is much more to do. I think back to the Atlanta Falcons’ Super Bowl winner in the first half. We know what happened in the second half when the Patriots came back to life. So don’t sleep on the second half of Milton. We’re certainly worried now…’
The reporter was referring to the Falcons’ collapse in Super Bowl LI, in which the Falcons held a 28-3 lead before ultimately losing to the Patriots.
And fans found the comment out of line considering the destruction Milton is expected to cause.
“What does that ‘analogy’ have to do with a hurricane???,” someone wrote on X. “Such a stupid shot for no reason. I would have shot him on the spot and left him out there to survive on his own.”
“An absolutely crazy ricochet shot here,” said another.
About 125 homes were destroyed before the hurricane even made landfall, many of them mobile homes in senior living communities, said Kevin Guthrie, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
The National Weather Service said flash flooding occurred in the Tampa Bay area, including St. Petersburg, where more than 41 inches of rain has fallen so far.
Tom Brady and the Patriots came back from 25 points down to beat the Falcons
A Lee County sheriff’s officer patrols the streets of Cape Coral, Florida, as heavy rain falls ahead of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Milton slammed into a region of Florida still reeling from Hurricane Helene, which caused heavy damage to beach communities with storm surge and killed a dozen people in the coastal Pinellas County town alone.
Earlier, officials issued dire warnings to flee or face grim odds of survival.
“This is it, folks,” said Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County, which sits on the peninsula that forms Tampa Bay. “Those of you who took a hit during Hurricane Helene, this is going to be a knockout. You have to get out, and you have to get out now.’