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CBS4 Reporter Doesn't Want To Be: "That Guy Who Dies Covering Storm"

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FLORIDA CITY (CBSMiami) – As Hurricane Irma roars across South Florida, the biggest message out there is stay out of the storm, stay safe. So how do reporters do that while reporting on the storm for viewers without becoming a casualty of the storm?

The safety of reporters, photographers and anyone else in the field is the top priority at CBS4 News.

Reporter Ted Scouten, for example, explained how he is staying safe while reporting from Florida City Friday morning.  Ted said it's actually quite simple. He and his photographer Adam Spunt are shooting right next to the hotel front door and move quickly if there's trouble.

"We run into that building. We are under an awning and then we have this SUV that block us from anything that may be flying in our direction and also from the wind," explained Ted.

It's all about positioning yourself in a strategic place.

MORE: Latest Hurricane Irma Updates

When asked what it's like to get blasted by one of those high gusts of wind, Ted replied, "I make it a point not to go outside in the heaviest winds that can blow you over and push you down and suddenly you have no control."

He explained he doesn't want to get hit by a palm frond or a sign as you are standing.

"Out there, it can kill you, it can easily kill you. That's why we make it a point to make sure there is something blocking us from the full force of the wind. We tell people not to go out in it, but I have protection. Hopefully, people get the idea of the dangers of being out there. We try hard to do it smart because I don't want to die from the storm. Marco Rubio was saying yesterday, 'Do not be that guy who dies from the tree falling', well I do not want to be that guy that dies from covering the storm. We want to make sure that the viewers have all of the information that they need to keep themselves and their families safe."

 

 

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