They thought he was actually swimming up the – – creek.
What do you do when you are in the eye of a hurricane? Go swimming, of course. A Florida resident caused waves of concern across the panhandle when he was filmed swimming through a flooded road during Hurricane Idalia.
A video of him doing laps in the middle of the disaster has amassed over 1.3 million views on TikTok as viewers wonder if the activity is safe or clean.
“This was really a ‘perfect storm,'” Lexi DeLeon, 23, told Jam Press about her mid-flood drop, which happened at 4:45 a.m. on Anna Maria Island in Manatee County.
This happened shortly before the Category 3 storm hit the panhandle, downing power lines, tearing off roofs and flooding entire neighborhoods with water.
“Being born and raised here, I have been through several typhoons and storms, but this is the first one that has caused this much damage and flooding,” he lamented.
Lexi DeLeon wades through flooding on Anna Maria Island, Florida.Jam Press Vid/@keepinupwithkove
However, instead of running for cover, DeLeon decided to take advantage of the Atlantis-like environment by going for an early morning paddle down one of the back-and-forths.
In the nail-biting clip, Floridians can be seen doing laps through rising floodwaters in a neighborhood plunged into pitch blackness.
At one point, trash cans and furniture float past storm swimmers while other shots show fences, lampposts and signs submerged in water, reminiscent of scenes from the 2012 tsunami thriller “The Impossible.”
DeLeon floats in floodwaters during Hurricane Idalia.Jam Press Vid/@keepinupwithkove
DeLeon quickly found himself in the eye of a social media storm, with many viewers expressing concern that the water may have been contaminated with pathogens.
“Avoid water and wash your hands a lot!” write a well-wisher. “Hugs from Pensacola.”
“Last year during Ian, we had dead animals floating in the floodwaters,” warned another.
Indeed, last fall, flesh-eating infections increased as residents were exposed to standing water and floodwaters after Hurricane Ian.
Some of this bacteria reportedly came from a sewage spill, suggesting DeLeon may have actually been swimming in the – – creek with his recent actions.
“The storm makes me feel scared and sad for everyone affected,” said DeLeon.Jam Press/@keepinupwithkove
And the microbes spreading the maelstrom aren’t the only potential risks, according to viewers.
“Watch out for snakes and gators,” warns a third person, referencing the plot of the 2019 thriller “Crawl,” in which alligators threaten a town during a hurricane.
Another commenter said, “Why would you swim in it? When Ian there were alligators swimming in my street. And snakes.”
A third wrote, “Forget animals and crocodiles and alligators watching downed power lines because you’re about to get electrocuted.”
DeLeon with tarpon.Jam Press/@keepinupwithkove
Fortunately, DeLeon was unscathed from the swim and the hurricane in general.
“My house is fine personally, but I have friends and family who have experienced massive flooding throughout their houses,” said the relieved girl. “My van is also OK, I have it ready and put it on a higher ground at my grandfather’s house outside the island.”
He added, “I want to say how lucky, lucky, and grateful we are that we only got the damage that we did.”
DeLeon said he is now “praying and thinking about all the counties above that are not so fortunate.”
“The storm makes me feel scared and sad for everyone affected,” lamented the content creator.
Hurricane Idalia reportedly made landfall around 7:45 a.m. Thursday in the Sunshine State, bringing with it 125 mph winds and 15-foot storm surge.
“I want to say how lucky, lucky and grateful we are that we only got the damage that we did,” said DeLeon.Jam Press/@keepinupwithkove
All told, at least three people died in the storm, while 270,000 people lost power.
Idalia was recently upgraded to a category 4 storm as it headed toward South Carolina.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
