Patrick Mcmahon
CNN viewers witnessed a somewhat unusual exchange between host Don Lemon and reporter Sara Sidner during the network’s coverage of Hurricane Irma.
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As the megastorm plowed into Florida, Sidner was reporting from the streets of Daytona Beach in the midst of hurricane-force winds and rain. Millions in the state are without power, and winds of over 100 miles per hour were seen all over Florida.
In her live broadcast, Sidner described the weather she was standing in to Don Lemon.
“It is blowing us around … This is 60 to 70 miles per hour,” she said. “We’re seeing a lot of projectiles — as you’ve been hearing from everyone, that’s the danger here — there are things like the tops, the things that cover the lights are flying around, we’re seeing the tops of trash cans flying around.”
She then described the storm’s impact on her body.
“This wind–” she began “I am not a small woman, as you know, Don. I’m a chunky girl. It is blowing me around when the gusts come really, really hard. This is nothing to play around with.”
In response, Lemon said “Thank you, Sara Sidner, you’re a beautiful woman no matter what size you are, and there’s nothing wrong with having a little curve,” seamlessly moving on to the rest of the broadcast.
