As Hurricane Florence — now downgraded to Tropical Storm Florence — whipped through North Carolina and South Carolina with vicious winds and pounding rain, one weather reporter was caught on live TV “attempting to keep it together as winds appeared to lash at him,” as Fox News put it.

He later faced mockery when two individuals were shown walking behind him with very little difficulty.

But the Weather Channel has now come to its reporter’s defense.

The weather update video, which has at least 13.6 million views at this point, showed Weather Channel correspondent Mike Seidel in Wilmington, North Carolina, struggling to manage and stay upright in the heavy wind as he was doing a live TV report on Friday.

“This is about as nasty as it’s been,” Seidel said, as he was showing bracing and moving against the heavy winds and rain.

A few mere moments later, however, the camera showed two people walking behind him.

They appeared to have little or no problem with the weather at that point.

“The internet was quick to mock the reporter, claiming he was exaggerating the storm’s severity,” as Fox News pointed out.

“So dramatic! Dude from the Weather Channel bracing for his life, as 2 dudes just stroll past,” tweeted one person.

But the Weather Channel defended its reporter.

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It said that Seidel was “trying to maintain his footing on wet grass” while the two individuals who were seen in the background were walking on concrete, The Washington Post reported.

“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 1:00 a.m. ET this morning … [He was] undoubtedly exhausted,” the Weather Channel said in a statement.

Hurricane Florence was downgraded to a tropical storm just hours after it hit landfall on Friday.

Many people have been rescued while others are in progress, and at least five people, including a mother and an infant, have died in the storm thus far.

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