An influencer is facing criticism for planning a family trip to Disney World Orlando while a category five hurricane approaches the area.
Cecily Bauchmann, a TikToker, has been criticized for organizing a trip to Orlando, Florida, at a time when many are evacuating due to the impending threat of Hurricane Milton.
The hurricane, initially a category five, has reduced to category four and is projected to further decline to category three as it approaches the west-central coast of Florida.
The storm is anticipated to make landfall on the evening of Wednesday, October 9, local time, before moving over Orlando.
With the storm expected to be the most severe in the Tampa Bay area, millions of residents have evacuated. Some areas could see water levels rise by up to 12 feet above ground due to onshore winds, according to FOX Weather.
The National Weather Service office in Tampa Bay has urged: “Act now to complete preparations before the wind becomes hazardous.”
Despite the expected displacement of millions, Bauchmann was reportedly set on traveling with her family to a location many are advised to avoid.
She shared a video on TikTok of her family preparing to leave for the airport, stating: “We’re leaving for Florida in one hour and I need to pack.”
Bauchmann then showed herself packing clothes for herself and her children into suitcases.
“Time to pack up this suitcase, time to go,” she said, and added: “Hey guys, we will see you at the airport. Love you, bye!”
The video, lasting a minute, was deleted but not before another user reposted it on their page.
In the caption, the user wrote: “This lady’s heading to Disney knowing a cat 5 hurricane is otw. The lights are on but no one’s home.”
The influencer is not alone in her determination to travel to Florida. One user commented: “My coworker left for Florida, and I told her about the hurricane btw. And she said, ‘Nothing is stopping me from the beach l’ve waited for this all year.'”
Another commented: “People travelling like Cecily to places where residents of the affected need hotels & Airbnbs in order to evacuate are so selfish.”
Another chimed in: “I thought that was a POV. There’s no way this is real.”
If Bauchmann and her family made it to Florida, they would have faced further disappointment as Disney announced the closure of Disney World on October 9 and 10.