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.
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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.
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