Sea foam-iversary: 5 years ago, Tucker Barnes' Hurricane Irene live shot went viral

WASHINGTON - Five years ago, FOX 5 meteorologist Tucker Barnes went viral in a way that will forever live on in YouTube history: covered from head to toe in a greenish-brown foamy froth. Foam which smelled awful, to put it lightly.

It was August 29, 2011, and Hurricane Irene had roared ashore. Barnes was in Ocean City to cover it live. But it's what happened while he was there that made him a weather legend.

We've seen many "live from the hurricane" live shots over the years, but this was different. It's hard to forget the image of Tucker completely covered in foam-- clasping onto his mic and trying desperately to stand up amid the foamy waves. We would later find out it was sea foam he was swimming in-- something most people had never heard of.

Relive the incredible moment in this video (app users: click here to watch):

From the Washington Post to the Huffington Post to FOX News, the video of Barnes traipsing through sea foam was everywhere. Tucker even got his own Top 10 list on The Late Show with David Letterman: Top Ten Thoughts Going Through This Guy's Mind at This Moment, including "#9: Anybody got a moist toilette?" and "#5: At least it's not... oh, wait... yes it is."

Well, it wasn't. When the video first went viral, there was a lot of concern that Barnes was actually covered in windblown ocean water mixed with sewage-- which wasn't true, despite the putrid smell. Instead, Ocean City officials said it was "naturally-occurring sea foam" and did not contain sewage.

So what does one do to mark the 5th anniversary of such a hilariously amazing moment in TV history? Try to do it over, that's what. Watch the video (app users: click here):

We have to thank the amazing crew at Markoff's Haunted Forest for helping to make this epic re-creation possible by making us a DIY foam machine.

Happy Sea Foam Anniversary, Tucker Barnes!