As Hurricane Milton approached Florida with deadly force, one woman’s decision to stay behind despite evacuation orders captured national attention. Her story became a viral focal point, and what would happen next kept everyone holding their breath.
For days, Hurricane Milton loomed over Florida’s Gulf Coast. Hurricane Helene had already battered the state, and many residents were still reeling from the damage. Now, authorities warned that Milton could be even worse. The Tampa Bay area was on high alert, and local officials urged people to evacuate immediately.
Yet, amid the warnings, one controversial social media influencer took a different stance. She shared her decision to stay put in her Sarasota apartment, directly in the storm’s path.
Her explanation, posted across social media, raised eyebrows, and her followers were left anxiously watching as Hurricane Milton closed in.
Social Media Influencer’s Decision to Stay Put
Before Hurricane Milton bore down on Florida’s Gulf Coast, most residents heeded the evacuation warnings, leaving their homes for safer ground. However, 32-year-old author and influencer Caroline Calloway made a decision that concerned her fans and followers.
Xem bài viết này trên Instagram
Living in Sarasota, one of the high-risk areas directly in the storm’s path, she chose not to evacuate, ignoring mandatory orders urging residents to leave.
On October 8, just days before the storm was to make landfall, Calloway took to her Instagram Stories to share her choice, stating bluntly, “So if you’ve been following Hurricane Milton, um, I’m going to die.”
Calloway explained her reasons for staying in the video. First, she revealed that she couldn’t drive, which left her with no easy way to evacuate. Additionally, local airports were closed, further limiting her options. But beyond these logistical issues, Calloway cited trauma from a previous hurricane evacuation.
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During Hurricane Ian, she fled to her mother’s house in Northport, only to be evacuated by the U.S. military after three days without power, food, or running water. The experience had been deeply unsettling, and she didn’t want to go through it again.
“I don’t want to evacuate to my mom’s house because the last time I did that it was the worst time ever,” she shared with her followers. Despite living on the waterfront in Sarasota, Calloway believed her apartment was safe enough to weather the storm.
She explained that her home was on the third floor of a building equipped with hurricane-grade windows and three-foot-thick concrete walls. She added that even the highest predicted storm surges wouldn’t likely reach her. “The building’s never flooded before,” she reassured her audience, trying to ease concerns about her safety.
Calloway’s decision was about surviving the storm and creating content. Known for her controversial online presence, Calloway continued to engage her followers by promoting her latest book, even as the hurricane approached.
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When asked if she was using the hurricane as an opportunity to promote her work, she didn’t deny it. “Listen, they’re not entirely wrong. […] I am promoting my book right now,” she admitted. The writer even joked that her commitment to staying might lead some to believe she would “die for it,” though she assured followers that wasn’t the case.
In addition to these explanations, Calloway expressed a desire to help her elderly neighbors, who had also chosen to stay behind. “There are a few more sort of able-bodied young people who are staying to help, but I’m definitely the youngest and the most able-bodied among them,” she said.
For her, staying meant being available in case they needed assistance during or after the storm. But despite these explanations, Calloway’s decision sparked debate online. As the hurricane drew closer, her followers anxiously awaited updates.
I’ve always lived in the eye of the storm (emotionally, but now also physically at this precise moment) pic.twitter.com/b7UE5o9gh6
— ◥◤Caroline Calloway (@carolinecaloway) October 10, 2024
The Night of the Hurricane and the 12-Hour Silence
As Hurricane Milton made landfall and unleashed its full force, Calloway remained holed up in her Sarasota apartment, updating her followers sporadically as the storm raged outside. In one post, she shared the view from her window, capturing the darkened skies and fierce winds sweeping through the area.
With her cat by her side and her bathtub filled with backup water, she appeared calm, even as the storm intensified. But then, as the hurricane’s strongest winds and rain swept through Sarasota, Calloway suddenly went silent online.
Currently in the eye of the storm. Here’s a video from before and seconds later. pic.twitter.com/6WNiMp1chO
— ◥◤Caroline Calloway (@carolinecaloway) October 10, 2024
For 12 hours, her social media accounts remained dormant, sparking growing concern among her fans and followers. Messages of worry flooded platforms like X (formerly Twitter), with many wondering if she had made it through the worst of the storm.
“Ok, is Caroline Calloway okay?” one user posted. “Taking a break from work every 30 minutes to see if Caroline Calloway posted,” another echoed the anxiety felt by many. The silence left followers in suspense, fearing the worst as Milton’s relentless rain and wind battered the area.
With downed power lines, rising floodwaters, and widespread destruction throughout Sarasota, the fate of Calloway and her neighbors became a focal point for those watching the storm unfold. Finally, after 12 tense hours, Calloway broke her silence with a simple selfie beside her pet cat, confirming her survival.
“I lived,” she stated, relieving her anxious audience. While her outcome was fortunate, the reality for many others who stayed behind in an evacuation zone can have tragic consequences. Officials confirmed that at least 16 people had died as a result of Hurricane Milton, a stark reminder of the storm’s deadly potential.