As terrified residents of the US’s Sunshine State prepare for Hurricane Milton as it heads for Tampa Bay via the Gulf of Mexico, many have abandoned their homes in evacuations or taken emergency steps to reinforce their houses against the Category 5 storm – but for some Swifties, there’s only one thing on their minds.
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is set to arrive in Miami next Thursday, October 18, where she will play three dates and conclude her stay in the Floridian city on Saturday, October 20.
Ahead of the concerts, Swifties with tickets to the Miami shows have expressed their fears online that the Miami leg of the Eras Tour may end up being cancelled in the wake of the hurricane which is expected to bring winds of 180mph to the state of Florida.
According to meteorologists in the region, Miami is not expected to fall within the storm’s path, however Hurricane Milton is expected to cause travel disruption around Florida, which might hinder fans’ ability to reach the city.
However, as residents in Tampa Bay and the west coast of Florida are warned that staying in their homes will mean almost certain death, some in the state have hit back at concerned Swifties for complaining about the concert when people’s lives are at risk.
Taylor Swift fans have expressed their fears that the Miami leg of the Eras Tour next week will be cancelled or postponed due to Hurricane Milton – but others have urged them to consider the bigger picture
Nearly the entirety of Florida’s west coast is under a hurricane warning today as the storm and its 180mph winds creep towards the state, sucking energy from the Gulf of Mexico’s warm water. It is expected to make landfall at 4am local time.
The system is threatening the densely populated Tampa metro area – which has a population of more than 3.3million people – with a potential direct hit tomorrow.
Earlier this week, Tampa’s mayor Jane Castor has warned residents that if they don’t evacuate, ‘you are going to die’. Milton is expected to bring a possible 8- to 12-foot storm surge and widespread flooding to the area.
Team observe the eye of Hurricane Milton amidst Florida lockdown
Hurricane Milton, which a category 5 storm bringing 180mph, is set to hit Tampa Bay in Florida early on Thursday morning
Fans have been chatting on X/Twitter about the fact the Eras Tour is set to come to Miami next week, with some questioning why it was scheduled in Florida during hurricane season
Evacuation orders began at 10am yesterday, with gas and flights selling out as locals began to flee. Traffic was thick on Interstate 75 heading north as crews were also seen hurrying to clear debris left by devastating Hurricane Helene just 12 days ago.
Milton was so strong overnight that experts called for it to be given unprecedented Category 6 status, however the hurricane was downgraded to a Category 4 early this morning. Forecasters warn Milton is ‘expected to grow in size’ and remain ‘an extremely dangerous hurricane’ when it makes landfall.
As residents prepare for what’s expected to be one of the worst hurricanes on record, it comes just weeks after towns and cities were destroyed by Storm Helene, which also claimed 230 lives.
However, while people are taking steps to protect themselves and their families, Swifties have expressed concerns that the Eras Tour will be cancelled; or they won’t be able to make it to the Hard Rock Stadium next week.
Some fans expressed their fears for their safety if they attend the Eras Tour in Miami next week. The South Florida city is not expected to be severely affected by the hurricane
Hurricane Milton spectacular lightning display in Gulf of Mexico
One person wrote on X/Twitter: ‘Will Eras Tour in Miami be postponed due to the hurricane? Or is that area not affected? Hope everyone is staying safe [right now].’
Another said: ‘Who else going to Eras Tour Miami is scared.’
Aerial footage reveals empty streets in Florida ahead of hurricane
One fan, who is not from Miami, revealed they had a flight booked to the Floridian city for October 14 but they were ‘really worried’ about the hurricane.
And a particularly angry Swiftie added: ‘If these stupid hurricanes end up interfering with the Eras Tour Miami and they’re gonna have to be cancelled I’m gonna lose it.’
They added they ‘did not go through an entire Ticketmaster battle for this’.
CBS News meteorologist KC Sherman said of Miami during a broadcast: ‘For South Florida [where Miami is located] this not going to be a huge deal for us. We are going to be dealing with some rain. We are going to be dealing with some wind.
‘But this is an event that we will get through just fine here locally.’
It is not expected that Miami will be severely affected by Hurricane Milton.
While some fans speculated about whether or not the Miami leg of the tour is set to go ahead, others hit back and pointed out that the residents of Florida have bigger things to worry about as they prepare for the storm to hit.
One person said: ‘Respectfully I don’t give a f*** if you miss the Eras Tour Miami [because] of the hurricane.
‘So many people have been impacted and y’all care about a f***ing concert? Sorry you bought the tickets a year ago but if it comes to it you’ll get refunded.’
Others have blasted the Swifties who are complaining for being ‘inconsiderate’ in the wake of the number of people who will be displaced as a result of the storm.
Another person, who is a Swiftie from Tampa and has tickets to the Eras Tour in Miami next week, said: ‘My city is about to be absolutely destroyed, we had no choice but to evacuate and we already lost EVERYTHING in [storm] Helene last week.
‘The Eras Tour is the last thing on my mind, and you should prioritise fans’ safety.
