A BBC journalist was hit by a falling tree while delivering a radio report on Hurricane Lane in Hawaii.
James Cook was in the middle of his report when a tree suddenly cracked and fell on top of him, leaving his laptop destroyed.
In the audio recording, released by the BBC, he begins by explaining that the eye of the category three storm will skirt round Hawaii’s Big Island in 12 hours’ time.
But he is suddenly interrupted by the sound of a tree breaking amid fierce winds which have already hit the US pacific islands.
He can be heard shouting “argh” before about five seconds of silence. Mr Cook and his co-workers can then be heard asking each other if they are “alright”.
“Well, that was unexpected,” adds the journalist, over the sound of crunching leaves and brunches.
He then asks a colleague to leave the tree and not to try to move it, saying: “It will be easier just to climb out.”
“It’s smashed my laptop,” he adds.
Hawaii: Hurricane Lane - In pictures
It came as flash floods and landslides hit Hawaii today as a slow-approaching Hurricane Lane unleashed a torrent of rain and 125mph winds.
The hurricane was downgraded to a category three storm as it approached land, but officials warned of “life-threatening” conditions and urged people not to travel after a foot of rain fell in 24 hours.
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said: “Lane, while it’s been downgraded, is wide and very moist and it’s going to hang around for a while, because it’s moving slowly. That’s why we’re taking so much precaution here.”
President Donald Trump had earlier declared a state of emergency amid warnings the storm could be the most powerful to hit Hawaii in more than 25 years.
Nobody was reported injured this morning but roads were shut after flash floods and landslides hit the islands.
