Al Roker received pummeled by Ida — and then by some critics.
The 67-calendar year-outdated veteran Television set meteorologist built a temporary look from New Orleans in a entire-entire body soaked accommodate on NBC’s “Meet The Press” on Sunday — and was immediately smacked by waves from Lake Pontchartrain as Hurricane Ida bore down on the area.
“I guess we shed interaction,” Roker sputtered at just one point to host Chuck Todd, while crushing waves alternately engulfed him and receded again into the water.
“It’s in essence a 15-mile-large F3 tornado,” the wind- and drinking water-lashed weatherman stated, referring to the dimensions and toughness of the storm.
The clip speedily went viral, with worried critics asking why anyone of Roker’s age would chance existence and limb to share details he could get from the Countrywide Weather conditions Provider with out leaving the household.
“Al roker is 67 lmao nbc performing him soiled,” Twitter user @iam_johnw2 posted.
@Rizaebellepow wrote, “It’s 2021. I really don’t have to have to see Al Roker jeopardizing his lifestyle and his crew’s life to present me a hurricane. It can be documented on without having standing outside the house in the middle of it.”
Roker later on appeared on MSNBC to assure viewers he was not in harm’s way — and offer some alternative text to these who explained he was far too old to be out in the storm at all.
“Some people today are like, ‘He’s too old to be accomplishing this.’ Hey, guess what, screw you! Try to preserve up!” Roker stated.
“I volunteered to come out listed here. This is what I do. I’ve finished this for 40 many years.”
“These young punks, I will occur immediately after them,” he joked. “I will fall them like a bag of dirt.”
Roker also tweeted movie of himself emptying drinking water from his boots at his resort.
“I brought back a minor little bit of Lake Pontchartrain with me,” he says in the movie.