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Fox Weather reporter Robert Ray blown off sidewalk on live TV as Ida wreaks havoc

Roads were flooded and roofs were torn off buildings in New Orleans after Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana on Sunday

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: That Hurricane Ida is powerful and dangerous is an understatement. Landing in Louisiana on the sixteenth anniversary of the horrific Hurricane Katrina, the hurricane has already caused serious damage. 

Roads were flooded and roofs were torn off buildings in New Orleans on Sunday, August 29, after Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana. The Category 4 hurricane caused massive power outage as well. And a flash flood emergency was declared. Over 1 million Louisiana customers, including all of New Orleans, remain without power early Monday morning, August 30. 

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And if that was not enough to believe the storm’s intensity, a weatherman managed to experience it firsthand. Fox Weather reporter Robert Ray showcased to Fox News viewers just how powerful Hurricane Ida was by getting blown down the sidewalk twice.

In live coverage from New Orleans, Ray told host Jon Scott on Sunday that the winds have been “like a train all day.” He said, “We had to retreat here into this parking garage, it’s just not safe out there at all. I’m going to step back slowly because I have an anemometer that I’ve been checking the wind speeds with. We have had gust up to almost 90 miles per hour, sustained over 60.” 

“And the second I step out, you’re going to see --” Ray said, unable to finish the sentence because he was struck by the intensity of the winds. Ray could be seen being blown sideways several feet after stepping out of the parking garage. He pushed his way back and someone else ran over towards him in the event he needed help. “I just want to show you the power of this wind right now, very close to the Mississippi River,” he said as he was blown back once again. That time, he managed to grab hold of the door.

“This is no joke, folks,” he said. “Everything outside in New Orleans right now and many spots is unraveling and falling apart. We have seen over the past three or four hours, Jon, aluminum coming off buildings…just stuff starting to move off of people’s homes. Just a very serious situation right now. If anyone is out there, they need to get into shelter. I cannot stress this enough as the storm is just battering New Orleans right now.” Ray, after the broadcast, retweeted the videos of himself being blown away by the strong winds. 

The National Weather Service in New Orleans shared a list of flooded streets, urging residents to "stay sheltered in place unless you absolutely have to travel." Before the hurricane made landfall, Governor John Bel Edwards at a news conference warned residents that their window to evacuate the area was closing. 

President Joe Biden approved federal emergency assistance for Louisiana and other southern states. At a briefing with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, he repeatedly told residents: “Pay attention and be prepared.” The mayor of New Orleans, LaToya Cantrell, said the focus of emergency responders had already switched to the aftermath of the storm, as the window of opportunity for evacuations was narrowing rapidly.

“[You] need to make sure that you are in a safe place, everyone, whether you’re going to leave voluntarily or stay on-site hunkered down, wherever that is,” Cantrell told reporters. “Hopefully that’s your home in our city, but in a safe space. If you’re staying you need to be prepared for damaging wind, power outages, heavy rain, tornadoes.”