Florida Reporter Wraps Mic In Condom: 'Safe Hurricane Reporting'

Reporting in a hurricane is dangerous business, and its important for journalists to protect themselves and their gear.

A savvy reporter caught viewers attention on Wednesday for doing just that as she reported on Hurricane Ian near Naples, Florida, with a condom over her microphone.

WBBH-TVs Kyla Galer cleared the air on her Instagram story after baffled social media users wondered what they were seeing.

It is what you think it is, Galer said. Its a condom. It helps protect the gear. We cant get these mics wet. Theres a lot of wind, a lot of rain. So, we gotta do what we gotta do, and that is: put a condom on the microphone.

We gotta protect our gear at all costs https://t.co/ocnmJUtG2u

Kyla Galer (@kylagaler) September 27, 2022","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Kyla Galer","author_url":"https://twitter.com/kylagaler","cache_age":86400,"description":"We gotta protect our gear at all costs https://t.co/ocnmJUtG2u Kyla Galer (@kylagaler) September 27, 2022\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Kyla Galer on 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We gotta protect our gear at all costs https://t.co/ocnmJUtG2u
Kyla Galer (@kylagaler) September 27, 2022

Florida reporter confirms shes protecting her microphone with a condom during Hurricane Ian coverage pic.twitter.com/siAbuVYM5v

DomisLive NEWS (@domislivenews) September 28, 2022","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"DomisLive NEWS","author_url":"https://twitter.com/domislivenews","cache_age":86400,"description":"Florida reporter confirms shes protecting her microphone with a condom during Hurricane Ian coverage pic.twitter.com/siAbuVYM5v DomisLive NEWS (@domislivenews) September 28, 2022\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":1280,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/1575223415341862912/pu/img/u79oZjkYUrkI3U5D.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":720,"title":"DomisLive NEWS on 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Florida reporter confirms shes protecting her microphone with a condom during Hurricane Ian coverage pic.twitter.com/siAbuVYM5v
DomisLive NEWS (@domislivenews) September 28, 2022

Another local journalist, Jeff Butera of WZVN-TV in Naples, chimed in to help his colleague field questions about the technique.

We practice safe hurricane reporting, he quipped. Yes, its a condom. Nothing better to waterproof a microphone.

** WE PRACTICE SAFE HURRICANE REPORTING **

Yes, it's a condom.
Nothing better to waterproof a microphone.

My Waterman Broadcasting colleague @kylagaler has been fielding lots of questions, haha.

Moment of levity in this nasty storm... #HurricaneIan pic.twitter.com/hdyiXdhZIL

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** WE PRACTICE SAFE HURRICANE REPORTING **

Yes, it's a condom.
Nothing better to waterproof a microphone.

My Waterman Broadcasting colleague @kylagaler has been fielding lots of questions, haha.

Moment of levity in this nasty storm... #HurricaneIan pic.twitter.com/hdyiXdhZIL
Jeff Butera (@ABC7Jeff) September 28, 2022

The major Category 4 storm made landfall in Florida near Cayo Costa, roughly 90 miles south of Tampa, on Wednesday afternoon. Within hours, it had caused widespread power outages, surging floodwaters, wild winds and significant damage. At least one fatality has been reported.

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The storm is expected to move up the coast , bringing a life-threatening storm surge on Thursday and Friday to northeast Florida and parts of Georgia and South Carolina.