That afternoon, October 10, I received a stark message from writer and influencer: “I lived bitch.” Shortly before, she had shared a screenshot of an identical proof-of-life selfie and message on her Instagram story, a somber gesture in the wake of Hurricane Milton’s landfall.
Earlier, we discussed Calloway’s decision not to evacuate during the severe storm, as well as her subsequent post about it on social media, and I asked whether she had considered the possibility of death.
“Occasionally,” she counselled, “all of us confront.”
As she acknowledged the potential for devastating storm surges to ravage the coast, she realized that Milton’s arrival would pose a significant threat to the very foundations of her home state. She was acutely aware that her decision could have far-reaching consequences, potentially causing irreparable emotional distress and financial harm. As the storm’s full extent remains unclear, at least 14 people have lost their lives, while a staggering three million others remain without power. Tornadoes erupted in dozens across the state, with Milton’s destructive path at the epicenter.
The dilemma was agonizingly complex: should one stay or leave?
She cautioned that I hadn’t succeeded equally, but offered to assist with online leisure activities if needed. So be it.”
Calloway isn’t the sole Floridian evacuation refusenik posting anonymously. On TikTok specifically, numerous creators have garnered massive followings by sharing snippets of their daily lives, often showcasing relatable moments and hilarious mishaps that resonate with the platform’s predominantly younger audience. The influencer’s warning to her audience: having stockpiled enough food and water, she concluded that she had reached a point of relative safety by Thursday evening. Celebrity DJ Steve Aoki, known for his carefree lifestyle and love of adventure, weathered Hurricane Irma in 2017 from the safety of his luxury yacht. Following this was the woman who refused to attend because she wanted to “preserve” the event’s integrity and also acknowledged that her presence might have “riled” some liberal-minded individuals. Her account now displays as “” on TikTok.
While refusing to evacuate under mandatory orders isn’t a novel occurrence. Though getting hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok for doing so may seem incredible? What drives people to remain in a situation that’s no longer serving them? And why are they posting?
Why do some people stay behind while others flee during a hurricane?
Deciding whether to leave or stay with StormTok, individuals must acknowledge that departing and choosing to remain are both fundamental choices.
It’s often a reality that people unable to evacuate during emergencies are those who truly need assistance? According to a meteorologist and storm chaser based primarily at Ball State University, “Evacuation is pricey.” Faced with the harsh realities of poverty, many individuals struggle to make ends meet, unable to take a day off from work due to financial necessity, let alone afford temporary accommodations like motels. Without reliable transportation, they’re forced to rely on unreliable modes of getting around, further exacerbating their already precarious situation. Meanwhile, mealtime becomes an anxious affair as they wonder how they’ll scrape together the means to put food on the table. Individuals lacking proficiency in conversing English and those who are undocumented immigrants also pose challenges for such emergency preparedness strategies. Despite evacuation being an unfeasible option, these individuals’ stories rarely come to light, emphasizes Name.
With the capacity to preserve and share what’s unfolding around us, it’s truly a luxury to behold.
Storm chaser Name pursues tornadoes, noting a subtle difference between the work of storm enthusiasts like himself and that of individuals capturing hurricanes – despite both activities involving the documentation of severe weather events.
“While these individuals may differ significantly from twister chasers, driven as they often are by the thrill of witnessing extreme weather events, their motivations stem from various factors.” The sheer force of a hurricane may elude their understanding. While some individuals may have invested heavily in their residences and genuinely believe them to be sufficiently secure. There is also a notable convergence between individuals who take risks through floodwaters, refuse to seek refuge during storms, and engage in reckless driving, alongside those of us.
What Name is getting at is that several factors contribute to the psychological resilience required to withstand the intense psychological pressure of being stuck in a hurricane-like situation, akin to Milton’s unyielding resolve. An assistant professor at the University of Miami concurs with this view. A key aspect of Millet’s research focuses on catastrophe communication, examining how the broader public comprehends the.
“Evacuation choices are complicated. They’re multifaceted they usually’re private. According to Millet, it’s impossible to pinpoint a sole cause, as a complex interplay of factors contributes to the impact on individuals and households.
The individual highlights a diverse range of factors influencing people’s decisions, including monetary concerns, past experiences with hurricane evacuations, forecast uncertainty and the perceived safety of remaining at home. Widespread disillusionment with the recovery process, coupled with a perceived lack of trust in governing bodies and authorities, can contribute to individuals’ reluctance to comply with evacuation orders.
“While no single cause may pertain to an individual’s decision to evacuate, a complex interplay of factors can still influence people’s choices.”
While some may find solace in the internet’s fascination with apocalyptic scenarios where people defy evacuation orders, a more meaningful takeaway is the alignment between these narratives and academic findings on human behavior during crises. Researchers have identified factors such as financial constraints and a lack of trust in authorities as key reasons why people fail to evacuate, prompting the development of more effective strategies to address these obstacles.
The explanations they’ve been providing mirror the consistent findings in many of our surveys. According to Dr., an affiliate professor at Rutgers University specializing in threat and emergency communication, none of the recognized explanations for these film portrayals have been a surprise. What unexpectedly captured Cuité and her colleagues’ attention was the rapid surge in popularity of the movies. Do individuals’ decisions have another driving force beyond cognitive processing?
The prospect of prolonged engagement may inadvertently discourage users from logging off, as Cuite posits: “Does the persistence of this cinematic experience create a paradoxical motivation for viewers to stay put, rather than disengage and move on?” “We’re unsure whether this phenomenon is happening, yet it undoubtedly prompts us to consider the possibility.”
What concerns Millet and Names is that individuals refusing to evacuate and amassing massive online followings – potentially swaying authorities’ decisions on evacuation orders.
“Social media provides an official channel for disseminating information to a broader audience,” Millet says, “but it also enables the spread of both official and unofficial, accurate and inaccurate, content – and that’s my greatest concern.” “Misinformation poses a significant challenge to individuals’ ability to make informed decisions, undermining their capacity for effective action.”
As devastating storms continue to ravage communities worldwide, a peculiar trend has emerged: people are transforming disaster into digital gold.
Calloway’s decision to stay was not driven by ignorance of the situation. Despite tracking the storm’s progression with Milton, she decided to remain at home due to mitigating factors such as her inability to drive and responsibility towards elderly neighbors requiring care. Her experience of evacuating during Hurricane Ian’s impact in 2022 has also influenced her decision.
“I decided that staying was the best move for me and my fast-paced team,” Calloway said. “They’re my first precedence.”
After experiencing the devastating effects of Hurricane Ian in 2022, she candidly recounts having previously heeded evacuation orders, relocating to her mother’s residence in Northport, Florida, only to ultimately require a naval rescue. As she pointed out, she resides on the third floor of her sturdy concrete apartment building, boasting hurricane-resistant home windows for added security.
As she confesses, the sheer volume of posts is motivated by a desire to publicize her latest endeavour, noting wryly that the isolation of being indoors for two days provides a serendipitous opportunity to boost book sales. “That’s from my perspective,” which turns out to be an ebook about. As the storm of speculation surrounding Calloway’s potential survival subsided, and her unwavering dedication to promoting her latest e-book drew unexpected admiration, her social media updates captivated audiences, providing a welcome respite from the chaos. Despite her familiarity with the risks of misinformation, she has firsthand experience navigating false claims, including the unfounded notion that she resides on the ground floor of her apartment – a fabrication conjured by an ignorant individual.
The morbid fascination with Calloway’s well-being, predicated on the possibility of her demise, is hardly surprising to observe online, where schadenfreude can reign supreme.
As people devour and re-share online content, it’s a reflection of their insatiable curiosity and propensity for judging others based on their authenticity. The fact that these Floridians had the means to leave yet chose to stay is particularly galling, but it also leads to a deep sense of investment in their community?
Will we assist though be curious about the implications of it all? As storm surge threatens to ravage her concrete home, one woman’s priorities are put into sharp relief – not burgers and hot dogs, but survival in the midst of standing water.
As meteorologist and storm chaser Name emphasizes, it’s notoriously challenging to fathom life in the devastating wake of a hurricane, where devastation reigns supreme. Florida’s components are still reeling from Hurricane Helene, leaving it uncertain how many days or even weeks it may take for Milton to recover and restore power to affected areas. Milton exerts intense pressure on Florida in ways that TikTok cannot possibly capture.
“Hurricane recovery is often a decades-long process.”
That’s the unseen half that won’t garner hundreds of thousands or even hundreds of thousand views.
