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I’ve seen condoms used for a lot of different things, but I can’t say that I’ve ever seen this.

News reporter Kyla Galer, who’s an Emmy award-winning journalist for NBC2 in southwest Florida, went viral online earlier today as she reported live with coverage of Hurricane Ian.

The storm just made landfall this afternoon as a category 4 (almost 5), and has already caused incredible damage with high wind, storm surge and flooding through the Gulf coast.

And of course, we’ve all seen the videos of reporters who inevitably go out into these massive storms every year, in an effort to bring up-to-date information on the storm conditions to viewers all over the country.

That means that they also have a team outside along with them, as well as all sorts of camera and microphone equipment to keep the broadcast running even in these kinds of dangerous conditions.

And apparently, there’s an old trick used by weather reporters everywhere to practice safe hurricane reporting, if you will… you put a condom on the microphone.

She offered an explanation on her Instagram stories on the practicality of using a condom to waterproof the equipment and keep it dry (I know, that sounds terrible):

“A lot of people are asking what is on my microphone, it is what you think it is: it’s a condom. It helps protect the gear, we can’t get these mics wet.

There’s a lot of wind, there’s a lot of rain, so we gotta do what we gotta do. And that is put a condom on the microphone.”

It sure doesn’t look great, but those are expensive mics, so of course, like Kyla said, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

And her colleague Jeff Butera confirmed that they always “practice safe hurricane reporting,” which should always be a top priority, and that’s the best way to do it:

** 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

You really learn something new every day, huh?

When I first saw this story on the internet, an innumerable number of jokes and puns popped into my head that I could never, ever publish, so I’m going to punt to Twitter, which remains undefeated when it comes to bringing the jokes:

NBC 2 practicing safe microphone reporting during hurricane Ian. #HurricaneIan #weather #News #FtMyers #Naples #storm #safe pic.twitter.com/CiRG5Hrhh4

— Kyle Biddle (@KyleBiddle5) September 28, 2022

@NBCNewsNow really got this woman out here holding a mic wrapped in a condom up to her face pic.twitter.com/LM8hIAlP8R

— Pie Is Better Than Pudding (@PiercebyPierce) September 28, 2022

Floridians ordered to seek protection from the storm. News reporter gives helpful example of what storm protection might look like https://t.co/VnhftnBMAr

— Holly Coleman (@HollyCo26588808) September 28, 2022

At least no strange baby hurricane/microphone hybrids will come from this storm… https://t.co/oyoQevgIJo

— Keith Malinak AtTheMicShow.com (@KeithMalinak) September 28, 2022

Here’s a little bit of Kyla’s reporting from before Ian made landfall, sans the condom:

A post shared by Kyla Galer (@kylagaler)