As millions of Floridians fled from the catastrophic Hurricane Milton, one man took a dangerous path into the storm.
Mike Smalls Jr, a content creator, ventured into the violent winds in Tampa, Florida, armed with a blow-up mattress, an umbrella, and a pack of ramen noodles. His goal was to entertain his online audience while livestreaming the storm on the platform Kick.
On Wednesday evening, as Hurricane Milton, a category 5 storm, pounded Florida’s Gulf Coast, Smalls Jr went outside and began streaming. He promised his audience that if he hit 10,000 views, he would launch himself and his mattress into the water. Once the threshold was reached, Smalls Jr took the plunge. However, he soon became concerned for his safety.
“The wind started picking up, and I don’t know how to swim… so I had to grab onto a tree,” he admitted.
His hour-long livestream from Tampa Bay has since gained more than 60,000 views on Kick and has been reposted millions of times across social media platforms, including X.
While some viewers found his stunt entertaining, many have criticised him for risking his life in the midst of a deadly hurricane.
Smalls Jr has defended his actions, acknowledging the controversy but asserting that people enjoy “edgy things.”
Despite the backlash, he stated that he would consider doing a similar stunt again, “if the price is right.”
Livestreaming has become a lucrative venture for content creators like Smalls Jr, who are often drawn to dangerous stunts in an effort to stand out in a competitive market.
The Tampa Police Department issued a warning, condemning Smalls Jr’s actions and emphasizing the dangers of ignoring evacuation orders.
“When individuals disregard these warnings, they not only jeopardize their own safety but also create additional challenges for first responders,” the statement read.
The department stressed that reckless behavior could divert critical resources needed for legitimate rescue operations.
Hurricane Milton has already claimed at least 16 lives, left millions without power, and forced thousands of evacuations.
First responders have been working tirelessly to rescue people trapped by rising waters, which overtook homes and streets along Florida’s southeastern coast. The storm is part of a busy hurricane season that has battered the U.S. with several powerful storms in just a few weeks.
Despite the dangers, Smalls Jr, like other content creators, continues to push boundaries. Livestreaming hurricanes has become part of his repertoire. His past stunts include setting off fireworks indoors and taunting fast-food workers.
A few weeks before Hurricane Milton, Smalls Jr livestreamed during Hurricane Helene, using a tent as a prop. He spent more than five hours under an underpass, holding up the tent while the ocean crashed nearby, claiming he was “going to survive the hurricane to entertain the people.”
Platforms like Kick offer financial incentives for high viewership and engagement. While Smalls Jr did not disclose how much he earned from the Hurricane Milton livestream, he mentioned that streamers can make up to $400 per hour, depending on views and donations. Smalls Jr said he earned enough to cover a few bills from the risky stunt.
Smalls Jr’s profile remains active on Kick, and he insists he takes safety seriously, despite not knowing how to swim. He dismissed concerns about putting emergency workers’ lives at risk.
When asked about the platform’s responsibility, Kick did not provide specific comments on whether Smalls Jr’s actions violated their guidelines, which emphasise prioritising safety.
TikTok said that their monetisation guidelines lay out how some content is not eligible to earn money through LIVE features, including “content that tricks or manipulates others… exploits controversial issues to bait engagement, or exploits the suffering of vulnerable people”.
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