Video shows weatherman exaggerating Hurricane Florence wind force

A video that went viral on Friday showed a weatherman bracing himself as the raging winds from Hurricane Florence threatened to knock him down. The scene looked harrowing—until two dudes strolled by casually in the background.

Twitter user @gourdnibler and others shared the clip, which features Mike Seidel from the Weather Channel as the dramatic meteorologist in question.

So dramatic! Dude from the weather channel bracing for his life, as 2 dudes just stroll past. #HurricaneFlorence pic.twitter.com/8FRyM4NLbL

— Tony scar. (@gourdnibler) September 14, 2018

Seriously, many agreed, give the guy an Academy Award.

https://twitter.com/KatbeeFulgenz/status/1040683200941502464

Weather Channel Meme:

💨Exaggeration – To magnify beyond the limits of truth

2 Errors:

💨Lean Into The Wind – To stand in a high wind, you need to lean into the wind, that is, opposite the direction that the wind is blowing

💨Dont let 2 people stroll effortlessly past you 🤣 pic.twitter.com/2lANUJx9TV

— Laurel Coons 🧬🧬🧬 (@LaurelCoons) September 14, 2018

Here’s the YouTube version (complete with multitudes of comments condemning it as “fake news”):

That’s not to say the dangers of Hurricane Florence aren’t serious. The storm brought 90 mph winds and rains that likely won’t let up for days in the Carolinas.

And covering a weather event like a hurricane is seriously tough, too. The Weather Channel made as much clear in a statement to BuzzFeed News addressing the viral video of Seidel.

“It’s important to note that the two individuals in the background are walking on concrete, and Mike Seidel is trying to maintain his footing on wet grass, after reporting on-air until 1:00am ET this morning and is undoubtedly exhausted,” the statement said.

But as Mashable aptly notes, the real danger of the hurricane lies in the potential rainfall rather than the wind force, so Seidel can ease off the dramatics. The good news? He’s in great company, as plenty of weatherpeople before him have comically exaggerated the conditions.

https://twitter.com/NotDRovell/status/1040692327059218437

https://twitter.com/LardFDorkness/status/1040695904267714560

H/T Mashable