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Viewers expressed their shock upon seeing a video that showed people, including children, playing in the water in Key West, Florida, just before Hurricane Ian rolled in.
Posted by TikTok user @emhaleyy on Tuesday, the video has amassed more than 7 million views.
Some people stood on a paved walkway as they looked out to watch groups of people in the water. While some adults were out in the water alone, others stuck close to their children.
The National Hurricane Center reported on Wednesday that heavy rainfall is expected all over the Florida peninsula through Thursday. The southeast region of the United States will also experience rainfall later this week.
"Catastrophic wind damage is beginning along the southwestern coast of Florida today near the landfall location," the organization warned. "Hurricane-force winds are expected to extend well inland along the core of Ian."
A Category 4 hurricane, Hurricane Ian developed maximum sustained wind speeds of 155 miles per hour.
The National Weather Service said tropical cyclones—which include hurricanes—will result in "dangerous waves" that are caused by strong winds.
"These waves can cause deadly rip currents, significant beach erosion and damage to structures along the coastline, even when the storm is more than 1,000 miles offshore," the agency said.
TikTok user @emhaleyy's brief video showed ominous gray clouds in the sky and waves crashing around the people in the water. Also in the water stood barricades, a tall lamp post and a garbage can.
People wearing their swimsuits splashed in the water, and some parents filmed their children.
TikToker @emhaleyy wrote to Newsweek that she's lived in Key West for about two years and the video was taken on White Street Pier.
"The end of the pier usually floods during a storm and that's where we saw a ton of people playing in the water," she said. "It is pretty known in Key West that during a storm people go over to the pier to see the rough water and flooding."
She added that she did not go into the water herself.
"I live a few blocks from the pier so I went back today since the storm passed and there are still people in the water, but not nearly as many," @emhaleyy said. "There were also people kit surfing and swimming in the ocean today."
The video prompted viewers to share their thoughts.
"Reminds me of when us Midwesterners watch tornadoes," a viewer wrote.
"If this is not the most Florida thing I've ever seen," another commenter said. "Let's play in the storm surge."
Most viewers, however, voiced their concerns.
"Why on earth would they have those kids in the water," a viewer asked. "It takes one strong current to take them under and be gone."
"I'm from [Florida] and I could never understand why anyone thinks this is OK," another commenter wrote.
"Not the kids," one viewer wrote. "And with no life jackets even. I could never."
"The mom in me is screaming," a comment read. "[I don't care] what you do as an adult but one big wave could take your kid out."
A video from the cockpit of a "hurricane hunter" plane showed the aircraft flying through the eye of the storm.
Another clip featured a man who wakeboarded behind a pickup truck through flooded streets.
Updated 09/28/2022, 5:10 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with comments from TikToker @emhaleyy.
About the writer
Catherine Ferris is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Her focus is reporting for the U.S. Trends Team. She ... Read more