A Florida influencer has decided to ignore the advice of authorities by sharing her plans to stay at home despite the oncoming hurricane threatening to ravage everything in its path.
Caroline Calloway took to social media to share her ill-advised plan to stay put as Hurricane Milton, which has been described as the 'storm of a century', continues to loom over Florida.
Millions of people have already evacuated the state on the advice of officials, but Calloway claimed she'd previously had a bad experience with evacuation and was hesitant to leave again.
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In a video shared on Tuesday (October 8) and cited by The New York Post, Calloway said: “So if you’ve been following Hurricane Milton, um, I’m going to die.
“It’s supposed to make landfall in the Sarasota-Bradenton area. I’m in Sarasota, I live on the water. It’s a zone A, mandatory evacuation."
Calloway, who has been dubbed the 'world's worst influencer' and described as being a 'scammer', pointed to her inability to drive and the closure of the airport as two of the reasons she was not leaving her home.
She added: “Third of all, the last time I evacuated for a hurricane, I went to my mom’s house in Northport for Hurricane Ian …
"Her whole street flooded and we were evacuated after three days without power or running water by the US military.
“It was very traumatic and so I don’t want to evacuate to my mom’s house because the last time I did that, it was the worst time ever!”
Calloway assured she had food and water at her home, but admitted the situation was 'kind of scary'.
“I’ll keep you guys updated," she said.
Her decision comes as the mayor of Tampa, Jane Castor, issued a chilling warning to those considering staying put during the storm.
She said: “If you are in a single-story home that is hit by a 15ft storm surge, which means that water comes in immediately, there’s nowhere to go. So if you’re in it, basically that’s the coffin that you’re in.”
Calloway's decision to stay at home has sparked controversy online, with many Twitter users urging her to get out while she still can.
One person wrote: "Caroline, i don't know you, and what i have heard hasn't been particularly good, so i need you to trust me when i tell you that you need to put your things in the first bag you find IMMEDIATELY, get in a car, and drive inland as FAST as you can. this is not a joke please be fr??"
Hurricane Milton is expected to hit the Tampa area today (October 9), with winds of up to 165mph (270km/h).
To donate to the American Red Cross, which helps provide food, supplies, shelter and emotional support to victims of crisis you can donate here.
Emily Brown