Fox News Shepard Smith MELTDOWN Live On-Air Reporting On Hurricane Matthew

Fox News anchor, Shepard Smith‘s reporting on Hurricane Matthew during a Thursday, October 6, broadcast left many viewers wondering if he was drunk or just plain out of his tree. Smith experienced a bizarre series of outbursts while tracking potential route of the hurricane as it approached Florida’s eastern coast.

Smith, 52, issued some over-the-top warnings that some on social media are dubbing an on-air meltdown.

“This moves 20 miles to the west, and you and everyone you know are dead — all of you — because you can’t survive it,” he said. ”It’s not possible unless you’re very, very lucky. And your kids die, too.” Shortly after Smith made those remarks, Palm Beach Gardens resident Dolores Berhalter — who happens to be a longtime friend of the Fox News personality — called in to let him know that she is not evacuating her home because she is hopeful that the storm won’t be too severe. Smith responded with another unnerving warning. “They were hopeful in South Miami-Dade and Kendall and Homestead back when [Hurricane] Andrew [hit in 1992]. They were very, very hopeful ― until they were dead,” he deadpanned. He added: “Hope is not a strategy, Dolores! Why didn’t you come up and visit us for the weekend?” h/t us

While many social media users praised Smith for being direct, many mocked him for inspiring unnecessary fear.