Florida natives were recently struck by a grave calamity, as Hurricane Milton made landfall around 8.30 p.m. on Wednesday. It wasn’t the ‘worst’ one ever, but it sure flooded the surroundings, left 3 million people in the dark, and left the roof of the Tampa Bay Rays’ ballpark (a famous sports venue) shredded to bits. However, amidst this, a runner’s gutsy, or rather questionable, act has left the track and field community fuming.

As seen in an X post, Brian Entrin, a local correspondent reporting for News Nation, was positioned in Tampa, clad in a raincoat and a cap amidst the category 3 storm, Hurricane Milton. This is when he spots a man jogging down a path, very close to the water. Brian happens to mention on camera, “And there’s a jogger, actually; look at this! Wow! The Florida man right there for you, jogging in the hurricane!”

The video also documents winds gushing at great speed, with continuous rain pelting down. The sound and the visuals attest that although Hurricane Milton had not made its landfall then, the conditions were anything but normal. Amidst this, the runner waved at Brian on camera and continued jogging without any sort of protective gear. He was shirtless, with just shorts and his running shoes on, which was a potential risk during such intense weather conditions.

This led a few people to comment on how disastrous this step was. A track and field enthusiast wrote, “As a runner, I tackle triple digit temps and high winds with hills…but this is ridiculous.” Truly, surpassing the safety protocols amid Hurricane Milton was something not many viewers appreciated. This is when another one added, “Imagine running through a hurricane just to be called a jogger on the news.”

Well, initially, Hurricane Milton was identified as a category 5 storm. Although it weakened to category 3, it hardly implied that rules could be fiddled with. As per the NHC, Milton was supposed to see storm surges up to 12–15 feet, which is why the mayor of Tampa had issued a warning. Nonetheless, the runner’s fearless attitude appeared a blunder made out of folly to some people.

Track and Field fan lash out at Hurricane Milton jogger

Emergencies were declared in 51 of Florida’s counties, with the mayor, Jane Castor, asking people to evacuate the said areas or, “You’re going to die.” Imagine that was the intensity. Yet, the runner’s non-compliance led a fan to chime in with a sarcastic comment, “Got to get that daily run in! Lol.”

The wind seen in the live stream was wild. The cameraman had to wipe off the droplets from the camera lens mid-report. Also, even though Milton gradually weakened by the time it hit the coast, dozens of evacuations had to be made in Tampa. Homes got submerged under water and per BBC, nearly 16 people lost their lives to Hurricane Milton in total. This led one of the fans to comment that the jogger violating all these warnings was nothing but “IDIOTIC!”

Moreover, throughout, the Tampa General Hospital had emergency response teams working in action. Per NBC News, federal personnel were deployed in thousands and even coast guards to assist in evacuation and rescue operations. And even after Hurricane Milton exited the state, the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s director, Kevin Guthrie, appealed, “Roadways are flooded, and the potential for hazardous conditions with them still exists. Please do not walk or drive through them.”

Yet the jogger certainly was running right next to the rain-washed shore. This led another one to comment, “You can’t fix stupid, let him go.” Well, many running enthusiasts from Florida were preparing for the 2024 Chicago Marathon this weekend. However, Hurricane Milton put a damper on their travel plans and left them having to pack and evacuate their houses. Moreover, their months of preparation went down the drain.

While they still chose to abide by the norms and take cognizance of the conditions, the Florida jogger did not. This led another concerned citizen to write, “Some people don’t take these things seriously. When flying debris or a falling tree gets him, he won’t be so bold.” What do you think of this? Did the jogging man do the right thing or was it something that could have been life-threatening? Let us know below!