The National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States reported this Friday that Hurricane Helene has weakened and is now a tropical storm. Amid the destruction and flooding caused by the phenomenon, a viral video of a man in Florida who took refuge in a kayak inside his house stood out.
TikTok user Matt Heller shared a video showing the flooding that affected his house due to the rains caused by the hurricane in Tampa, Florida, while he sought shelter inside a kayak.
“The kayak was my escape plan in case things got very difficult, we could get out,” Heller told CNN, as quoted by the New York Post. “I didn't think I would need it in my living room,” he said.
According to the New York Post, the video became an instant viral success, garnering nearly 12 thousand views in the first three hours. "I was floating and I was surprised that the electricity stayed on for so long," Heller said. As reported by CNN, the man soon lost power and began using candles to light his home.
What is known about Hurricane Helene now?
After announcing that the hurricane had weakened, the NHC, however, warned about the intensity of the winds, heavy rains, and storm surges that are still keeping the United States on alert.
He explained that, as Helene advances further inland, damaging wind gusts will continue, with peaks of 110 kilometers per hour, particularly in the high areas of the southern Appalachians.
Helene has already left at least 30 dead and showed all its strength with maximum winds of 225 kilometers per hour.