{"id":13912,"date":"2024-11-11T00:46:50","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T00:46:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=13912"},"modified":"2024-11-11T00:46:50","modified_gmt":"2024-11-11T00:46:50","slug":"what-happened-to-this-florida-man-who-stood-on-his-boat-amid-hurricane-milton-why-did-he-refuse-to-leave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=13912","title":{"rendered":"What Happened to This Florida Man Who Stood on His Boat Amid Hurricane Milton & Why Did He Refuse to Leave?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A Florida man caught social media users’ attention after refusing to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton. He stayed on his boat as the storm threatened Tampa Bay despite warnings. Find out what motivated his risky decision and if he survived the century’s worst hurricane.<\/p>\n

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Hurricane Milton was projected as one of the most catastrophic storms Florida was set to face in over a century. A massive storm surge threatened to flood the Gulf Coast, raising water levels by up to 9 feet in certain areas.<\/p>\n

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An infographic titled “Hurricane Milton approaches Florida.” | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The FOX Forecast Center warned that the storm might even surpass record-breaking surges seen in the past, such as those in the 1848 hurricane and the 1921 storm that devastated much of downtown Tampa and Pinellas County.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Meteorologists did not doubt that Milton would cause widespread damage, urging Floridians to evacuate. “Storm surge is the deadliest aspect of a hurricane,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Craig Herrera\u00a0said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman preparing for Hurricane Milton. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Biden Calls on Congress to Return From Recess for Hurricane Milton Disaster Relief<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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But amid the warnings, one man refused to leave. A local known as “Lieutenant Dan” had anchored his 20-foot sailboat in Tampa Harbor and was adamant that he would ride out the hurricane.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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People watching the weather report ahead of Hurricane Milton. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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As the storm approached, he explained why he wouldn’t evacuate, “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\u00a0said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“He’s got my back. I’m in good shape. I ain’t sweatin’ it. We’re gonna ride this out one. We got set up the way\u2026 we know what we’re doing, and as long as the water keeps rising, we’ll be fine,” Lieutenant Dan\u00a0continued<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Lieutenant<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Lieutenant Dan | Source: TikTok\/terrenceconcannon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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He wasn’t just confident\u2014he was defiant. He even shared that he wouldn’t wear a life jacket during the storm. “The water’s gonna come in, it’s gonna rise. If you’re on land, it’s gonna flood, you’re risking drowning. I’m in a boat,” he\u00a0shared<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“The boat goes up with the water; so, even if the boat goes up [one] hundred feet in the air, I’m gonna be up [one] hundred feet in the air with the water. […] The safest place in the world to be is on my boat,” Lieutenant Dan\u00a0added<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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