For days, Florida has been bracing for Hurricane Milton to hit the state, with millions having evacuated before 125mph gusts and flooding hit.
Residents have been polarised on their response to the threat with some taking a relaxed approach while others protect themselves at all costs.
On one end of the spectrum is Joseph Malinowski who has achieved internet stardom in recent days after refusing to leave his small boat before the storm hit.
Dubbed ‘Lieutenant Dan’ after the Forrest Gump character played by Gary Sinise, Malinowski refused to listen to advice from police and authorities to leave his boat and evacuate the area.
He managed to survive overnight, and emerged from below deck after the storm, telling a reporter: “I’m fine.”
However, on the other end of the scale is another man who instead of fleeing, or just riding it out, has decided to strap his entire house to the ground to stop it flying away, becoming an internet sensation in the process.
Mohammed Nijem, from Tampa, Florida, went viral after Spectrum Bay News 9 shared a post from X of the strapped down house and preparations that he had taken ahead of the hurricane.
To keep his house in place, Mohammed used six massive straps to keep his home put in the extreme rain, wind and floods.
The straps went over the top of the single story house and attached firmly to the ground.
The news site said: “Viewer Mohammed Nijem is getting prepped for Hurricane Milton.”
The post has since been viewed more than 1.8 million times leaving the internet amazed.
One person wrote: “This is the most Florida thing I’ve ever seen,” one person joked.
Another person said: “Everyone is laughing now, but this man will be a legend when all the other houses are floating down the road and he’s sitting in his new living room swimming pool watching TV powered by a Starlink terminal.”
Meanwhile one commenter put: “I actually respect the effort. I hope it is effective,’ added another user.”
Since making landfall multiple deaths have been reported from Hurricane Milton.
According to NBC affiliate WPTV, the sheriff of Florida county St. Lucie has confirmed that multiple people have been killed at the senior community of Spanish Lakes Country Club.
This was due to a tornado outbreak, with sheriff Keith Pearson describing the conditions as “a weather event like none other”.
At the time of writing, it is not clear how many people have died but Pearson told WPTV that his deputies are checking every home in the area and “listening for life”.
“We want to get to anybody who might be trapped underneath the rubble or trapped in these situations and get them out safely,” he said.
Related: Florida man dubbed ‘Lieutenant Dan’ shouts ‘I’m fine’ after surviving the worst of Hurricane Milton
