A man in the Sunshine State known as ‘Lieutenant Dan’ has given his reasoning behind staying on his boat instead of seeking shelter, ahead of the impending landfall of Hurricane Milton later today (9 October).
An initial video of the Florida man, who seems set on staying on his modest boat, went viral with millions of views after he claimed that the boat would ‘float’, even if flooding rose to the predicted level of 15 feet (4.5 metres).
TikToker @terrenceconcannon has been documenting the man’s journey, who has nicknamed Lieutenant Dan as he lost his leg when he was younger, similar to the Forrest Gump character of the same name.
Hurricane Milton will hit the west coast of Florida, US, this evening, particularly hitting the city of Tampa Bay hard, which is where Lieutenant Dan (real name Joe) is located on his relatively small boat.
The cyclone has been classed as a category five storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, meaning that winds can reach 157 mph or higher, while homes are set to be destroyed with power outages affecting the area for weeks or month, according to the National Weather Service.
Social media user Terrence has made several videos with Lieutenant Dan – the first being last month when the state was hit by Hurricane Helene – asking him several times if he can put him in a hotel or if he can evacuate, as this is what the state and authorities advised. But the sailor has stood firm.
He even joked that ‘the only thing’ he’d give the boat up for is a female companion.
@terrenceconcannon @JoeSea ♬ original sound – Tampa Terrence
Terrence asked Dan to explain why he wants to live through the most devastating Florida hurricane in over 100 years on a ’20ft sailboat’, to which he replied: “God told me to come out here and get a boat. I came out here and got a boat.”
“And everything that he’s been telling me over the last two days is I’m doing the right thing,” he claimed, comparative to the story of Noah’s Ark.
“He’s got my back. I’m in good shape, I ain’t sweating it. We’re gonna ride this one out.”
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He said that ‘we know what we’re doing’ with the storm, ‘as long as the water keeps rising’.
When asked if he would be wearing a life jacket, Dan stated: “Hell no,” before adding that he will be able to swim ‘in circles’ if need be, due to his sole leg.
Dan went on to explain that the water will rise when it comes in, lifting the boat, while those on land are actually at risk of drowning, even if the boat goes ‘100 feet in the air’.
“So it’s really the safest place in the world to be is on my boat, and I got room for one more female,” he joked.
Views of the hurricane both on the ground and in space have been chilling, revealing the sheer scale of the disaster headed for the southeastern state.
Mayor of Tampa Bay Jane Castor also warned residents on Monday (7 October), saying: “This is the real deal here with Milton. If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100 percent of the time.”
She then chillingly told residents that if they don’t evacuate, ‘you are going to die’.
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