News reporter perplexed and dismayed as surfers defy good sense to shred Milton ahead of hurricane’s landfall

"Here we have another former Cat 5 that's going to be a Cat 3 at landfall, and the storm surge is baked in."

The potentially very devastating Hurricane Milton made landfall overnight as a Category 3 storm on Florida’s central west coast. Siesta Key, its first point of contact, reported sustained winds of 120 mph, though it shrunk to a Category 1 as it moved east across the state. Power is out for much of the region and those living in the Tampa area have been ordered to shelter in place as “extremely dangerous conditions” are percolating outside.

Jeff Masters, a scientist who formerly worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s hurricane hunters, warned CBS News, “Some of the biggest catastrophes in hurricane history were from weakening storms. Katrina was weakening as it was approaching the shore and it caused $190 billion in damage. It was a Cat 3 at landfall and it was formerly a Cat 5. Well, here we have another former Cat 5 that’s going to be a Cat 3 at landfall, and the storm surge is baked in.”

Wild tornados whipped the area before Milton reached the shore further terrifying beleaguered Floridians but none of that stopped two intrepid surfers from paddling out near Naples, right in the storm’s path. A reporter, who happened to be posted on the very same beach, approached the rippers and perplexedly asked what they were on about. They responded that it was typical for them to sample tasty waves before hurricane landfalls. The reporter wrinkled her brow and wondered if they were worried about lightning strikes and aforementioned twisters. They declared they were not. She then wanted to catch them in a “gotcha moment,” asking if they were going to defy orders to leave. They responded that they would defy lifeguard orders but not those of the police.

The reporter shook her head in abject confusion.

Surfers, man. What weirdos.

Watch the exchange here.