Self-proclaimed “world’s worst influencer” Caroline Calloway took to social media to share her decision to stay in her Florida home as Hurricane Milton made landfall. Despite mandatory evacuation orders, Calloway opted to ride out the storm, igniting a wave of criticism and concern from her followers.
“I’m going to die,” Says Calloway
On Tuesday, October 8, Caroline Calloway posted a video to her Instagram Story declaring, “So if you’ve been following Hurricane Milton, I’m going to die.” The 32-year-old influencer’s blunt statement came just as Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm, was set to hit Siesta Key, Florida.
According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm later weakened to Category 1 as it moved inland. Despite the mandatory evacuation issued for her area, Calloway, who has been described as an Instagram “scammer,” explained her decision to stay. “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,” she said.
Why she chose to stay
Calloway outlined several reasons for staying put, including the fact that she couldn’t drive and that the airport was closed. She also cited a traumatic experience from Hurricane Ian, saying, “The last time I evacuated for a hurricane, I went to my mom’s house in Northport, and it was the worst time ever!” She admitted feeling “a little concerned” as she lives “right on the beach,” but reassured her followers that she and her cat were prepared with food and water. Calloway used the moment to promote her upcoming book, Elizabeth Wurtzel and Caroline Calloway’s Guide to Life, adding, “It’s about to come out if I survive!”
Mixed reactions from followers
Many of Calloway’s followers weren’t buying her nonchalant attitude. Some expressed concern for her cat, while others speculated that she might be “scamming” again. One follower commented, “You guys, she’s scamming, no way she’s still there.”
Nine hours after her initial post, Calloway shared an update on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Currently in the eye of the storm. Here’s a video from before and seconds later.” She explained that the footage came from her condo’s group chat and jokingly added that a 60-year-old man named Todd had captured better content than she did. She also mentioned checking on elderly residents in her building.
Later, Calloway posted on her Instagram Story that there was “no storm surge, but no power.” She told her followers she had taken melatonin to sleep through the storm’s noise.
In an interview with New York Magazine’s Intelligencer, Calloway addressed her decision to stay, as well as a viral tweet that said, “Caroline Calloway might actually die. She lives on the ground floor of a beachfront building in Sarasota and isn’t evacuating.” Calloway clarified, “I never said I live on the ground floor. I live on the water, but I’m three stories up. Even with a 20-foot storm surge, I will not be seeing any of that.” She also shared details of her harrowing experience during Hurricane Ian, when she heard gunshots at night, adding, “I still don’t know if it was just drunk Floridians exercising their Second Amendment rights or something more sinister.”
Her disaster plan
Calloway outlined her plan for weathering the storm: “We have hurricane-grade windows for up to 145 mph winds. We’ll be taping them, but we’re not boarding up. Our condo building is putting up a flood storm-surge gate.”
She noted that she stayed behind with two friends and her mother because she believed the building’s safety structure was more reliable. While there was no direct contact from the county, Calloway revealed that actress Emma Roberts had reached out to her, wishing her well. Caroline Calloway gained notoriety in the early 2010s for documenting her life as a student at the University of Cambridge. Since then, she has built a controversial reputation online, often sparking debate with her actions and decisions. Her latest hurricane saga has only added to her polarizing image in the public eye.