We are currently witnessing the real-time impact of a hurricane on a city through the lens of TikTok.
As Hurricane Milton bears down on Florida, this intimate glimpse into the chaos has revealed a surprising trend: some TikTokers are choosing not to evacuate. This is despite stark warnings from officials like Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, who bluntly stated, “You’re going to die” if they remain in danger zones.
So, why are people choosing to stay?
Are TikTokers staying in Hurricane Milton for the content?
Many TikTokers, have cause great concern over their decision to stay in their evacuation zones. Among the most talked-about is Tampa Bay resident Matthew Heller, who recently went viral for kayaking through his flooded living room during Hurricane Helene. “The kayak was my escape plan in case stuff got too hairy,” Heller shared, but he never imagined needing it indoors.
In just 90 minutes, the water surged to over four feet in his home, turning it into a makeshift waterway. Despite Hurricane Helene killing at least 230 people and ruining thousands of homes, including his own, Heller has continued to post videos of himself kayaking through his flooded home.
He recently told CNN that he plans to stick out Hurricane Milton in his flooded home, but is “taking it real seriously”. He is equipping himself and his girlfriend, who is also staying in the home, with lifejackets, lights and an “inflatable unicorn”.
Commenters are concerned about the possible electrical damage in his home, as well as the sewage water that has also infiltrated his house.
Influencer Caroline Calloway also made headlines for her decision to remain in Florida, stating on X, “I’m not evacuating for the hurricane. I live in Sarasota, on the beach, in evacuation zone A.
“For more great advice, buy my second book! It’s called Elizabeth Wurtzel and Caroline Calloway’s Guide to Life. It’s about to come out if I survive! It’s an advice book 😉 Cute!!!!!”
It’s definitely a choice.
Another notable figure, known as Lieutenant Dan, has gone viral on TikTok for choosing to stay on his fishing boat during the hurricane.
Also known as Joe Sea, he gained millions of fans after TikTok user Tampa Terrence posted a video of Sea refusing to evacuate for Hurricane Helene.
Despite increasing calls from concerned viewers and even the Tampa mayor urging him to leave and seek safety, Sea has resisted these suggestions.
“Our public safety team has had multiple conversations with this individual to persuade him to make the decision to go to a shelter for safety as the hurricane approaches,” the mayor’s spokesperson said to PEOPLE.
“He’d agreed to leave his boat, however, it appears that he has not followed through.”
TikTokers going to Disney World during a hurricane
Cecily Bauchmann, a non-Floridian influencer, recently sparked backlash for her decision to travel to Disney World amid the approaching hurricane.
In a now-deleted TikTok video, Bauchmann shared her packing process just an hour before heading to the airport for their trip. As she prepared for her family’s getaway while Florida braced for Hurricane Milton — whose intensity fluctuated between a Category 4 and Category 5 — her video quickly caught fire online.
Many commenters have criticised her for being “out of touch” and are disappointed in her lack of consideration for Disney employees expected to work during dangerous conditions.
“The fact that there’s zero consideration for those workers and she has the expectation of them still working during a hurricane!?” one wrote under a repost of Bauchmann’s video.
“The fact she’s risking her own children for a trip, like you can reschedule you can go any where else but it’s so tone deaf,” said another.
Bauchmann has not provided any updates about her trip or whether she plans to reschedule amid the dangerous weather forecast.
The struggles of evacuation
Many residents who are staying behind cited practical reasons for their decisions. Amanda Moss, a mother of six from Fort Myers, expressed her anxiety: “We don’t have the money to evacuate, and where am I evacuating to?”
Amanda is also worried about running out of gas while stuck on congested highways.
“So many friends have had to turn around because there’s no gas,” she added.
Florida officials said on X that they were escorting fuel trucks along evacuation routes to replenish stations that had run out of gas, however Moss points out that even if she could get out, she wouldn’t have anywhere to go.
“If I could get out, I would, but where are we going?” Moss said in one video.
“Everything is booked. Unless you’re hopping on a plane and evacuating your family, where is everybody going?”
Florida is divided into evacuation zones — A through to L— determining who should leave based on their vulnerability to storm surges and flooding. Zone A is the most at risk, and many residents feel trapped by circumstances beyond their control.
As Amanda noted, “We’ve never evacuated before; we’re taking proper precautions because that’s what needs to be done.”
Many TikTokers who have shared that they are not evacuating have received backlash, however, many have clarified that the information that they are getting from local governments have told them to stay put if they are not in Zone A to C.
@JDSAVS on TikTok shared that she is in Zone D and said, “We are staying put, unless we get an evacuation notice. I’m not trying to stay here if I don’t need to stay here, if we get a notice we’re done.”
Those who are in Zone D and below are also unlikely to leave because of the risk of getting stuck in congestion and traffic on their way to safety.
Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall on the coast of Florida in mere hours. Officials have advised that it is now too late to evacuate.
“Unless you really have a good reason to leave at this point, we suggest you just hunker down,” Polk County Emergency Management Director Paul Womble said in an update.
Lead image: MatthewHeller/TheRealDaphney/TampaTerrence via TikTok
The post Why TikTokers Are Choosing Not To Evacuate Despite Hurricane Milton Warnings: ‘You’re Going To Die’ appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
