Hurricane Milton ravaged Florida, with at least four weather-related deaths confirmed Thursday morning.

While covering the storm for CNN, Anderson Cooper was apparently hit by a piece of flying debris – and it was caught on camera.

“The wind has really increased. The water is really moving. You really get a sense of how fast the water is moving there,” Anderson says in the footage. “You can see it there in the light. It just flows off the Manatee River. It’s coming from the north, I think, from the northeast. And the water is really starting to overflow now. When you go to the –wow!”

That’s when an object appears to hit him.

“That wasn’t good,” he says, noting that he and his colleagues “will probably be going in soon.”

He then stays inside the storm, describing the intense winds and dangerous waters as first responders rush to save those in need.

“I’ve seen a number of emergency vehicles driving over the bridge in the last hour,” he said. “Looks like one’s about to come across.”

But you can really get a sense of how much of that water is coming onto land now.

It was not immediately known what struck Cooper, but he later picked up something that he said “came from the river” and said it was “just Styrofoam.”

“So yeah, that’s just one of the things where we’re starting to see things that are in the river itself ripping and then flying into the air,” he says.

Hurricane Milton barreled into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday after barreling through parts of Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis said power had been knocked out to more than 3 million customers. The storm caused at least four fatalities and compounded the misery Helene had wrought, while sparing Tampa a direct hit.

DeSantis said the hurricane made landfall as a Category 3 storm in Sarasota County on Wednesday around 8:30 p.m. before moving through the central part of the state. He said the storm caused “significant flooding, high winds and destructive tornadoes.”

The governor said search and rescue operations began overnight as soon as the storm passed and continued as of Thursday.

“National Guard, State Guard and Fish and Wildlife Commission personnel, as well as local law enforcement and first responders, are involved in rescue missions in the affected areas,” he noted on X. “More than 50,000 linemen are in Florida working to restore the flow as efficiently and safely as possible. As you assess damage and clean your property, be careful of hazards such as downed power lines and operate generators a safe distance from your home.”

He also said the state Department of Transportation is working to clear fallen trees and branches from roads while 150 inspectors ensure bridges can reopen safely.

“If you do not live nearby, please do not attempt to travel to areas affected by Hurricane Milton – keep the roads clear for first responders, FDOT personnel and commercial vehicles,” he said.

Officials in hard-hit Florida’s Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota and Lee counties also urged people to stay home and warned of downed power lines, trees in roads, blocked bridges and flooding.

“We will let you know when it is safe to come out,” Sheriff Chad Chronister of Hillsborough County, home to Tampa, said on Facebook.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report.