Al Roker, 67, was trending on Twitter while reporting from New Orleans as Hurricane Ida, a Category 4 storm, made landfall.
Viewers expressed concern for the veteran meteorologist as he was pummeled by the harsh winds and waves on Lake Pontchartrain during live coverage.
"Al Roker is almost 70 years old, why is this necessary?" one person tweeted. Another commented, "Maybe let's not. A 70-year-old in the eye of the hurricane isn't that much fun to see."
Others also called out NBC for putting Roker in the field during the storm.
But the Today co-host later reassured fans he was safe.