Reporter quote of the year from hurricane coverage

[Derek Ortt]

This year, we had a lot of coverage of major hurricanes making landfall in the USA. However, the quote of Gary Tuchman of CNN from Gulfport during Katrina's eye wall may have summed it all up nicely. His quote "This is hell on earth" hopefully summed up just how terrifying real major hurricane conditions are

[DoctorHurricane2003]

My favorite was humorous

From Hurricane Dennis:

CNN's Soledad O'Brien: "And now we're looking at a camera in Pensacola....look at that bridge, Anderson, it just looks like something took it out! Those huge waves must have just destroyed the middle part of that bridge." Anderson: "Yeah that is probably the Escambia Bay Bridge right over here on I-10 that partially got taken out during Ivan."


-They were actually looking at the camera on Pensacola Beach and they were looking at the Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier that goes into the Gulf of Mexico.

[Lindaloo]

I heard Jim Cantore was scared to death and said something along the lines of "We may not make it folks" If someone can correct me or verify please do so. I did not have any way of watching TV during Katrina.

[Rainband]

I heard Jim Cantore was scared to death and said something along the lines of "We may not make it folks" If someone can correct me or verify please do so. I did not have any way of watching TV during Katrina.

I remember that as well Linda.

[george_r_1961]

I didnt see it live but if I remember correctly a co worker told me Cantore was in trouble. Hes gonna get himself killed one of these days on live TV.

[Stephanie]

I didnt see it live but if I remember correctly a co worker told me Cantore was in trouble. Hes gonna get himself killed one of these days on live TV.

He was scared. They were trapped on the top floor of that nursing home with the water coming up the stairs. I don't remember hearing him saying that, but I would believe it if he did.

That was a good quote Derek - I summed up the whole season!

[brunota2003]

This isnt from a reporter, but I thought it would fit in, written by me the night the OFFICIAL hurricane season ended:

Its officially over!!! We are the survivers, left to pick up the pieces and the dead. Left to put our shattered lives back together...

This is like Pearl Harbor all over again, except this time we can not defeat our enemies with our weapons, whether it be an M-16, or a nuke. The only thing that we CAN beat our enemy with is our smarts, we can out smart them, we can hide from the wind and run from the water. We can learn from our mistakes and build better houses and cities, we can find better ways to evactuate mass amounts of people. But, after its all said and done, and we return to the "off-season" we still wonder, why???? Why me??? What did I do to deserve this??? In all reality, no one unfortunely knows, why or how. That is why we must better prepare ourselves, so we can face this attack on our beachfronts. In the end, we may end up bloody, injured, or just doggon tired, but we will win, its just in our blood, we won't go silently into the night without a fight. Amen!!!
-Timmy Bruno

[Jim Cantore]

Sheppard Smith on Fox News during hurricane Rita got blown down the street and said "Slipping and falling is very easy to do"

He didnt slip he got blown away.

This wasnt during a hurricane but while reporting from a tornado damaged town about a month ago Mike Seidel said "I'm glad I wasnt here when it hit I've been blown down enough streets this year"

[wxmann_91]

"It looks like _________ dodged a bullet."

[george_r_1961]

"It looks like _________ dodged a bullet."

That was the stupidest thing ever said in the 30 plus years ive been tracking hurricanes.

[hurricanetrack]

They did dodge a bullet- but instead, a big flood hit them square between the eyes.

Perhaps the only good thing is that we did not see New Orleans get wiped out in a matter of hours on live TV as would have happened had the levee system given way- totally. Imagine seeing ONLY the tall buidlings of downtown and NO other roof-tops sticking up to speak of. That is what I feared would happen- and was glad to see it not happen- even though the breaches were bad enough.

Also- I had said on Coast-to-Coast AM with Art Bell the night of Katrina's approach to the coast that any good news for New Orleans would be devastating news for Mississippi- and it sure was.

[facemane]

I didnt see it live but if I remember correctly a co worker told me Cantore was in trouble. Hes gonna get himself killed one of these days on live TV.

He was scared. They were trapped on the top floor of that nursing home with the water coming up the stairs. I don't remember hearing him saying that, but I would believe it if he did.

That was a good quote Derek - I summed up the whole season!

Actually, everyone went to the 2nd floor because the generators were
located on the 1st floor and electrocution was the main concern. The
Naval home where Cantori was stationed is 30 feet above sea level,and
he was in no danger of drowning. The parking lot where the weather
channel van was parked and flooded is several feet lower in elevation
than the main building. All said and done, it wasn't the wisest move to
seek safe harbor there. He should have went North of the CRS railroad
tracks where they would have been safe from the surge and flooding.

[milankovitch]

How about "Chad....Chad....Chad....Chad....."

[txwatcher91]

How about,"Is it getting windy out there Jeff" Jeff Morrow,"Yeah it is getting...WOH,WOH,there just went a powerful gust,I can barely stand out here."

Also,"Why is it so calm right now?" 20 min. later,"Why is it so windy all of a sudden?"

[MGC]

We were watching the news flipping back and forth between TWC and Fox and caught the tail end of Cantori's report that the surge was in the Naval Home. We could not belive it as the Naval Home is on a small bluff. Then shortly thereafter, I received a phone call from my cousin trapped in the attic. She was way more calm than I would have been. She asked me where the hurricane was. I told her it was moving ashore in Hancock County and the worst should be over soon. Then the phone went dead. That was the moment that reality slapped me in the face on how bad Katrina was going to be......MGC

[Lindaloo]

We were watching the news flipping back and forth between TWC and Fox and caught the tail end of Cantori's report that the surge was in the Naval Home. We could not belive it as the Naval Home is on a small bluff. Then shortly thereafter, I received a phone call from my cousin trapped in the attic. She was way more calm than I would have been. She asked me where the hurricane was. I told her it was moving ashore in Hancock County and the worst should be over soon. Then the phone went dead. That was the moment that reality slapped me in the face on how bad Katrina was going to be......MGC

I had a similiar experience and that is the most gut wrenching feeling and I never want to have to go through that ever again!

[conestogo_flood]

Hunkering down.

It's been too often a day on TV per hurricane coverage.

[TS Zack]

The stupidist quote of 2005. Shepherd Smith saying "Everything is fine in New Orleans, they will be partying on Bourbon next weekend."

[george_r_1961]

The stupidist quote of 2005. Shepherd Smith saying "Everything is fine in New Orleans, they will be partying on Bourbon next weekend."

What the heck was he smoking?

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

The stupidist quote of 2005. Shepherd Smith saying "Everything is fine in New Orleans, they will be partying on Bourbon next weekend."

Was that after the storm made landfall but before the
levees failed?