While it is some sort of weird tradition that reporters have to prove their, uh, mettle by standing in the middle of a hurricane while doing a standup, that doesn't mean you have to do it. As my dad used to say, if everyone jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you follow them?
While rain and high winds might not seem threatening to you, trust me, flying debris can do some serious damage. Would you want to be hit in the head with a two-by-four traveling at 100 miles per hour? Of course not. But it's only a matter of time before some reporter or photog is seriously hurt or killed during hurricane coverage.
Many stations are fond of saying during severe weather coverage, "we're here to keep you informed so you'll be safe," yet they look the other way when it concerns the safety of news crews. What sort of message are we sending viewers when we tell them to stay indoors and take cover while our own people are putting themselves in harm's way?
I've heard some stations are issuing helmets, which is a great idea. Eye protection is important as well.
There are safe ways to cover a hurricane. You can get the story without getting killed. Stay safe and live to report another day.
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