top line
Photos and videos of Hurricane Ian have surged on social media over the past few days, particularly on video app TikTok, where clips posted using the hashtag #HurricaneIan have garnered 3.5 billion views and residents who documenting their experiences with the historic storm have drawn renewed attention.
A woman uses her cell phone to take photos as the waves pound against the Cocoa Beach pier in September … [+]
Important facts
TikTok users post updates on how their homes look during heavy rain and wind, and use the platform to share tips and information on how best to prepare for hurricanes and stay safe while residents prepare to evacuate decided to share how they prepared their home for the storm.
While some of the users who create Hurricane Ian content are verified influencers, many of the most popular videos are posted under #HurricaneIan and related hashtags by Florida residents without large social media followings.
Stephanie Moratto, a TikToker who says she lives in Southwest Florida and already had a following for posting horseback riding and barn content, shares updates on how the storm is affecting her farm (last time she showed her followers that their cows are doing well). .
Another user, who identified herself as Holly Johnson, documented leaving Charlotte County, Fla. — portions of which are under a mandatory evacuation order — and shared videos of the storm and her family’s safe space in Cape Coral, Fla., covering more than 2 days have million views.
Live streams of the storm draw thousands of concurrent viewers, and one such show, seen by NBC News, had 55,000 concurrent viewers.
More than 65,000 posts have been tagged with #HurricaneIan on Instagram.
tangent
It’s unclear how social media platforms deal with content posted from potentially dangerous situations – such as by users who have not followed evacuation orders – and whether these posts are recommended to users. TikTok’s Community Guidelines prohibit users from “depicting, promoting, normalizing, or glorifying dangerous acts that could result in serious injury or death.” Instagram’s policies prohibit content that “glorifies self-harm,” although the stipulation is typically used to remove content related to eating disorders and self-mutilation. TikTok and Meta, Instagram’s parent company, did not immediately respond forbes requests for comment.
key background
About 2.5 million residents of Florida’s Gulf Coast have been ordered to evacuate as Hurricane Ian approaches. The Category 4 storm is expected to bring storm surges between 12 and 18 feet and cause “catastrophic wind damage” along Florida’s southwest coast. The storm previously passed through Cuba, killing at least two people and causing an island-wide power outage. The storm is expected to escalate into a Category 5 hurricane, Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, warned Wednesday.
Continue reading
Hurricane Ian live updates: Cat 4 storm just minutes from landfall on Captiva Island (Forbes)
‘Rapid intensification’: Hurricane Ian could intensify to Category 5 storm as it approaches Florida (Forbes)
