1. If they didn’t, viewers would have no idea what a hurricane was.
2. There’s nothing more satisfying than watching a manhole cover, flying at warp speed, dent the forehead of a reporter who just uttered the line, “It’s really wet out here, Gavin. Back to you.”
3. It’s a great way to showcase Ralph Lauren’s new line of $2300 New England Sea Captain ponchos lined with Polartec Lobster Fleece.
4. Gazing at reporters standing with their legs far apart as they brace themselves against the wind is a real turn-on for a certain subgroup of viewers (“Oh, baby, baby, Category 5 me! Rip the shingles right off my rooftop. Go ahead, do it. You KNOW what I like!”)
5. The Montana Tourism Bureau makes extensive use of the video footage in its ad campaign, “OUR STATE MAY SUCK, BUT YOU’LL NEVER HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS SHIT IN BILLINGS.”