In recent hours, a number of daring tourists or perhaps inebriated youngsters have not been deterred by the worsening weather in the Florida Keys, brought on by the approach of Hurricane Helene. They have taken photos next to the famous 90-mile buoy to Cuba.
Images shared on social media show families, even with young children, posing by the monument despite flooding in the area and the visibly rough sea conditions. Videos from early Thursday morning depict several young individuals climbing onto the buoy in an act of sheer recklessness and danger.
"What else is there to do at 2 a.m. but watch drunk people in Key West during a hurricane?" quipped one social media user who posted images from the webcam situated by the buoy on X.
A video taken shortly after 7 a.m. the same day showed the area inundated and giant waves crashing with immense force. A flood watch is in effect for all of South Florida, with rainfall amounts potentially reaching 3-5 and up to 6 inches.
Hurricane Helene's Current Status
Hurricane Helene reached Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson scale as of Thursday morning and is approaching Florida's coast as a dangerous cyclonic system. At 11:00 a.m. local time, Helene was situated about 405 kilometers southwest of Tampa, with maximum sustained winds of 165 km/h.
After impacting Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula and western Cuba on Wednesday, Helene is heading towards Florida with a high likelihood of becoming a devastating storm. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned of potential catastrophic storm surges on Big Bend’s coast, where flooding could reach up to six meters.
Helene may intensify to Category 3 or 4 before making landfall, prompting Florida to evacuate residents in vulnerable areas, close schools, and declare a state of emergency in several counties.