Al Roker Got Sent To A NOLA Beach To Cover Hurricane Ida And Got Pummeled By Huge Waves

Al Roker’s usual gig co-hosting The Today Show still includes weather reports, which is why he was sent to cover the massive hurricane bearing down on the Louisiana coast this weekend. But the broadcast that aired on NBC Sunday morning was anything but his regular gig.

On Sunday morning, Roker broadcast live from New Orleans on Meet The Press with Chuck Todd. The broadcast happened as Hurricane Ida, a Category 4 storm flirting with Category 5 winds, was nearing landfall with its epicenter just outside of New Orleans. The landfall comes on the 16th anniversary of the same region’s tragic Hurricane Katrina, which is why the video of Roker battling a huge storm surge was particularly harrowing.

While the video shows the power of the storm and the dangerous potential for people in its path, it was also a bit of weird TV. As in, why did NBC put Roker so close to a storm that’s so dangerous. I mean, this is how the broadcast started.

https://twitter.com/ReallyDanWeiner/status/1431999283327381506

A lot of people had reactions to the Meet The Press clip, which quickly went viral amid a lot of concern for the people of the Gulf Coast. And concern for Roker, a 67-year-old weatherman put directly in harm’s way.

https://twitter.com/mamagrumpypants/status/1431996190225207296

Hopefully Roker, and everyone else in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, stays safe this weekend.