Hurricane Dennis: “CNN Crew In Pensacola Taking Cover;” Anderson Cooper, John Zarrella Stay On The Air

Earlier this afternoon, Anderson Cooper said his crew in Pensacola had an “escape plan:” They had a second satellite truck standing by at the Ramada Hotel, about 600 feet from the shore. Around 3:30pm, Cooper and John Zarrella sought shelter outside the hotel.

As the duo narrated live, trees snapped and a huge Ramada sign fell to the ground. CNN.com has the must-see video.

Get back, get back! Look over there, that is aluminum, the trees are coming down. Big trees coming down. Big trees coming down. Be careful! Get back, get back, get back.

“Unbelievable,” Cooper said — “I’ve never seen anything like this — Incredible — Have you ever seen anything like this, John?” “I have never seen anything like this before,” Zarrella responded.

Check out the video right here. “CNN crew in Pensacola taking cover; trees snapping,” the chyron said. A few moments later, the crew appeared to be inside the eye of the storm. Zarrella held the “R” from the Ramada sign in his hand a few minutes later. “I think you need to take that back to New York and frame it,” Zarrella told Cooper.

But through it all, you could tell the two were enjoying themselves. “I hate to be vain, but you have a leaf on your eye,” Cooper told Zarrella, and plucked it off his face…

> Update: 6:08pm: “The absolute highlight of the day is Anderson Cooper and John Zarrella’s coverage,” Laura e-mails from Canada. “They play off each other so well.”