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‘Going to die’: Woman refuses to flee storm

A woman says she is refusing to leave her Florida home in a “mandatory evacuation” zone — even though she knows it’ll likely kill her.

‘Pray for us’: Florida hit with tornadoes ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall

“World’s worst influencer” Caroline Calloway says she is refusing to leave her Florida home in a “mandatory evacuation” zone — even though she knows it’ll likely kill her.

“So if you’ve been following Hurricane Milton, um, I’m going to die,” the controversial Instagram scammer said in a video Tuesday, a day before the monstrous storm is expected to kill those who refuse to leave.

“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.

Influencer refuses to evacuate before Hurricane Milton

The 32-year-old, an early influencer who hawked workshops that never happened while getting friends to ghostwrite her popular posts, attempted to explain why she’s refusing to evacuate — even while sharing a video of a Florida official warning that those who stay behind “will die.”

“I can’t drive, first of all. Second of all, the airport is closed,” she said of the chaos of those rushing to leave.

Caroline Calloway took to Instagram to explain to her followers why she was not leaving her Sarasota, Florida, home ahead of Hurricane Milton.
Caroline Calloway took to Instagram to explain to her followers why she was not leaving her Sarasota, Florida, home ahead of Hurricane Milton.

“Third of all, the last time I evacuated for a hurricane, I went to my mom’s house in Northport for Hurricane Ian … Her whole street flooded and we were evacuated after three days without power or running water by the US military,” she said.

“It was very traumatic and so I don’t want to evacuate to my mom’s house because the last time I did that, it was the worst time ever!”

She then said she was staying at home with her cat and prepared by filling the backtub with “backup water.”

“We have food but it’s kind of scary…,” she said, adding, “I’ll keep you guys updated.”

Immediately after, Calloway shared a video of Tampa Bay Mayor Jane Castor telling residents who don’t evacuate that “you will die.”

Another image shared by Calloway shows the view of the ocean from her home while also noting that she was “a little concerned.”

Calloway shared several images showing her home's proximity to where the hurricane was expected to make landfall.
Calloway shared several images showing her home's proximity to where the hurricane was expected to make landfall.
Calloway shared an image saying she was "a little concerned" that has a clear view of the beach in the background.
Calloway shared an image saying she was "a little concerned" that has a clear view of the beach in the background.

The internet starlet later doubled down on her plans to stay at home on X — again acknowledging she might not make it out alive.

“I’m not evacuating for the hurricane. I live in Sarasota, on the beach, in evacuation zone A,” she again said.

“For more great advice, buy my second book! It’s called Elizabeth Wurtzel and Caroline Calloway’s Guide to Life. It’s about to come out if I survive! It’s an advice book ;-) Cute!!!!!

Calloway, a self-proclaimed “scammer,” notoriously defrauded hundreds of fans who paid for “creative workshops” that never happened, spent a six-figure advance for a book deal that never materialised and sold her own skincare line shamelessly named Snake Oil.

The influencer fled her West Village apartment for Florida several years ago after reports emerged saying she owed $40,000 in unpaid rent.

Calloway was also the subject of a bombshell BBC documentary titled “My Insta Scammer Friend,” which laid bare the impact of the glamorous grifter’s deceptions in interviews with the women who were duped.

This story appeared in the New York Post and has been reproduced with permission.

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/going-to-die-influencer-refuses-to-flee-storm/news-story/9f8acd35cf55f5d3ac78a40e481003b8