In the midst of what’s being called a “monster storm,” some U.S. residents are welcoming Hurricane Florence with parties.
The Category 2 storm is set to hit the U.S. East Coast with winds of up to 215 km/h. And to put things in perspective, the eye of the storm is as big as the city of Toronto.
On Thursday, the Post and Courier based in Charleston, S.C. reported some local residents were avoiding orders of evacuation to attend hurricane parties instead.
READ MORE: Hurricane Florence — Everything you need to know about the ‘monster’ storm
“Two years ago, we made hot dogs and sold PBR out of Bar Normandy,” resident Chaz Green said at One Broad, a local restaurant that is now the go-to venue for hurricane parties.
Other grocery stores in the city sold everything from hurricane drinks to chili dogs.
“I’ve watched all the weather and read the local stuff,” another resident said. “I never got the sense that I needed to leave.”
Other bars in North Carolina stayed open on Wednesday night (amid warnings to evacuate) and advertised local beer, pizza and vodka, the Daily Mail reported.
“People don’t have to work the next day because of the hurricane. So they think: ‘Hell, what should we do? We have a day off. Let’s get drunk!'” Jordan Berry, the barman at a local sports bar, told the site.
On Instagram, parenting blogger Chrissy Marie, based in North Carolina, posted a photo of her kids’ hurricane party, complete with bright pink balloons.
“What to do when a hurricane is barreling towards you, school is cancelled for the week, + kids are faaaareaking out?” she wrote on the social media site.
“Throw a hurricane party of course! Complete with balloons to see how hard the wind is blowing. We woke up today and saw the storm is looking less scary! Thinking about those who will be effected (sic) and hoping everyone stays safe.”
WATCH: Dramatic images of Hurricane Florence as seen from space
On Twitter, users wrote or even joked about their hurricane parties.
READ MORE: ‘Disaster is at the doorstep’ as Hurricane Florence expands as it approaches coast
But not all social media users were fans of the children’s party, in particular. Some called it “tone deaf.”
READ MORE: This is how big Hurricane Florence is. Hint, the eye of the storm is the size of Toronto
But others see the need to keep children distracted in times of distress.
- Invasive strep: ‘Don’t wait’ to seek care, N.S. woman warns on long road to recovery
- ‘Super lice’ are becoming more resistant to chemical shampoos. What to use instead
- Canadian food banks are on the brink: ‘This is not a sustainable situation’
- Is home ownership only for the rich now? 80% say yes in new poll
Comments