On-The Spot Storm Reporting

This hurricane season is about to get into high gear and I’m getting ready for my enjoyable hobby of sitting in front of my television set, watching foolish reporters standing on location in the direct paths of approaching dangerous tropical storms, and then letting the storms, when they arrive, soak them completely and buffet them all over the place (while they tell the viewers how dangerous this all really is). But because they’re in front of a camera, reporting for a TV station or network, that makes it O.K., I suppose. I’m still waiting for the time when somebody like the Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore is standing outside in the middle of a hurricane and is suddenly lifted up in the air, the last thing anyone seeing of him is his tiny, dwindling body disappearing in the clouds above. Maybe then, and only then, will this foolhardy competition to see who can get soaked and blown around the most on TV yield to more prudent (and informative) reporting. But I think this is really a deliberate strategy on the part of commercial broadcasters to bring in viewers. It’s the same kind of draw that an auto race has, where spectators may be ostensibly there to “follow the sport” and their favorite drivers, but furtively are there in the hope that they’ll see firsthand a terrible, spectacular crash (after all, the accidents are the big “highlights” shown on TV sports shows).

In spite of the danger of being in the midst of powerful storms, I think that the weather news organizations that send out these people sometimes overhype their on-the-spot coverage. I remember one recent storm somewhere on the East coast when a correspondent was on a beach babbling how the weather was deteriorating and how dangerous it was becoming. But you could see, all around him, people going about their own business as if nothing were happening. Finally, a man pushing a baby in a stroller walked close by the “intrepid” reporter, making his presence on that beach appear utterly ridiculous. And, as I recall, nothing of import did happen there.

Apart from the Weather Channel, the station I like to follow for good hurricane coverage is Channel 2-WESH in Orlando/Daytona Beach (which my cable service thankfully provides). WESH goes out of its way to provide detailed coverage, often going well outside its local area, if that’s where the biggest story is. My local Channel 20-WCJB doesn't seem to be as staffed as WESH, although it can help out with reports on flooding and other local conditions in Gainesville. But even with its meager staffing, WCJB also has sent people out to stand in the middle of storms. I guess it’s a case of nobody wanting to be left out.

So far, we’ve had a pretty light hurricane season. But it only takes one severe hurricane hitting at the worst possible place to turn a mild season into a calamitous one. I hope the brave souls in broadcasting will show a little common sense and not push their luck with their on-the-spot storm reporting too far. But I realistically expect them to make complete fools out of themselves once again, hopefully to my amusement and not my horror!