Renowned weather reporter Jim Cantore has been through it all—storm surges, 150-mile-an-hour winds, and lightning strikes. But he will be playing it safe during the pandemic and covering the hurricanes from his basement bathroom.

“We thought it prudent that he risks his life and limb every storm in America, but we didn’t want him to risk it on a disease with a 0.03 percent mortality rate,” Weather Channel Director of Operations Vince McMahon said.

For Hurricane Laura, the team did everything possible to emulate the destruction and devastation caused by the storm including a high-powered industrial fan, people tossing buckets of water at Cantore, and even a downed house plant.

“I think it’s a little silly, but the health experts know best, right?” Cantore said. “It’s okay for me to face category 5 hurricanes head on, but this COVID stuff is too dangerous.”

After battering the Gulf Coast shortly after midnight Thursday, Hurricane Laura has been downgraded to a Category 2 storm as it moves northeast through the Texas-Louisiana border.

“We’ll probably turn the fan down and turn off the shower to emulate the downgraded storm as the day progresses. Cantore will be wearing a face mask through his broadcast. We need to show the violent nature of the storm, but we also need to be safe,” McMahon added.

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