Step into this meticulously maintained waterfront home at 941 Don Juan Court, Punta Gorda (33950), to experience living the Florida lifestyle. A spacious open floor plan is suitable for an array of furnishing and décor options that meet your needs.
The bright and welcoming main living area is a huge canvas waiting for your creative design. The recently updated kitchen features new stainless-steel appliances, gorgeous quartz countertops, touchless faucet, soft-close cabinets, and a double-door pantry with ample storage for food, beverages and small appliances. Plus, enjoy convenient access to the garage via the fire-retardant safety door.
Your spacious primary suite is complete with a walk-in closet and updated en suite bathroom with double shower. The updated guest bathroom features a new tile shower, sink and backsplash, and adjoins the second generously sized guest suite with a walk-in closet.
The expansive, all-seasons Florida room adds an additional 250 square feet of under-air living and entertaining space, and boasts impact windows, electric shades and a convenient passthrough counter bar, all overlooking your resurfaced saltwater pool, new waterfall fountain feature and expanded paved pool deck. Boating enthusiasts will appreciate the new 10,000-pound boatlift and 40-foot concrete dock (with electric and water) situated along the city-maintained concrete sea wall. Enjoy Florida’s sunny days and balmy evenings from your screened lanai.
Many additional updates include a newer A/C system, updated impact windows, new washer and dryer, updated remote operational irrigation system, new patio and deck pavers, and new screened pool cage. This home is equipped with hurricane shutters and — best of all — there are no HOA fees.
Listed at $619,900, this home is in a convenient location — just a short distance to Ponce De Leon Park, Fishermen’s Village and the Harborwalk, and is close to downtown shops, restaurants and galleries. It’s just five minutes from I-75 and 10 minutes from Punta Gorda Airport where Allegiant Airlines offers nonstop flights to over 60 destinations.
For more information, contact Crystal Coovert, Premier Properties by Walker Realty Group Florida, at 813-299-2417. ¦
— Although the information about the homes featured here is as current as possible, a property might be off the market by press time.
Step into this meticulously maintained waterfront home at 941 Don Juan Court, Punta Gorda (33950), to experience living the Florida lifestyle. A spacious open floor plan is suitable for an array of furnishing and décor options that meet your needs.
The bright and welcoming main living area is a huge canvas waiting for your creative design. The recently updated kitchen features new stainless-steel appliances, gorgeous quartz countertops, touchless faucet, soft-close cabinets, and a double-door pantry with ample storage for food, beverages and small appliances. Plus, enjoy convenient access to the garage via the fire-retardant safety door.
Your spacious primary suite is complete with a walk-in closet and updated en suite bathroom with double shower. The updated guest bathroom features a new tile shower, sink and backsplash, and adjoins the second generously sized guest suite with a walk-in closet.
The expansive, all-seasons Florida room adds an additional 250 square feet of under-air living and entertaining space, and boasts impact windows, electric shades and a convenient passthrough counter bar, all overlooking your resurfaced saltwater pool, new waterfall fountain feature and expanded paved pool deck. Boating enthusiasts will appreciate the new 10,000-pound boatlift and 40-foot concrete dock (with electric and water) situated along the city-maintained concrete sea wall. Enjoy Florida’s sunny days and balmy evenings from your screened lanai.
Many additional updates include a newer A/C system, updated impact windows, new washer and dryer, updated remote operational irrigation system, new patio and deck pavers, and new screened pool cage. This home is equipped with hurricane shutters and — best of all — there are no HOA fees.
Listed at $619,900, this home is in a convenient location — just a short distance to Ponce De Leon Park, Fishermen’s Village and the Harborwalk, and is close to downtown shops, restaurants and galleries. It’s just five minutes from I-75 and 10 minutes from Punta Gorda Airport where Allegiant Airlines offers nonstop flights to over 60 destinations.
For more information, contact Crystal Coovert, Premier Properties by Walker Realty Group Florida, at 813-299-2417. ¦
— Although the information about the homes featured here is as current as possible, a property might be off the market by press time.
This isn’t the first time Abby Vernier has earned an award from the Pensacola News Journal this week.
But this award is definitely minimal compared to her accomplishment earlier this week.
After a third-place finish at the Class 2A state golf tournament in Howey-in-the-Hills, Vernier cemented herself as one of the area’s top high school golfers. She carded a two-day total of 148, bouncing back on the second day with a one-over par 72.
For her efforts, Vernier was named the PNJ Athlete of the Week after mustering 43.91% of the poll’s votes.
On Friday, Vernier was announced as the PNJ Girls Golfer of the Year. Safe to say she had a solid junior season with West Florida, which, as a team, made it to the region tournament for the first time in program history.
Next she has a few big tournaments coming up to start her offseason from high school golf. And she’s still got one more season at the high school level to accomplish some lofty – but definitely within reach – goals her senior year.
Here’s a quick question-and-answer session with Vernier after she spoke with PNJ Sports Reporter Ben Grieco.
Q & A with West Florida golfer Abby Vernier
PNJ: Overall, for your junior season, how did you think the year went?
Abby Vernier: “It was so much fun. We had a great team this year. Everyone was nice. … It was a fun time making it to regionals for the first time in school history. We were all in the hotel room, having fun. … Then I made it to state, which was fun.”
PNJ: What’s it like going to regionals as a team, especially since it was the first time?
AV: “It’s a totally different experience. Your practice rounds and dinners with them, it gave me a taste of what college golf would be like. It made me excited for the future.”
PNJ: Speaking of the state tournament, you finished in a tie for third. What was working for you during the tournament?
AV: “The first day, I was struggling a little bit. I had two tricky holes that raised my score a bit. Other than that, I feel like I played pretty solid. There’s some tight holes on the course, but I just had to recover a little bit with a solid short game.”
PNJ: With how close you were to the top, does it give you any sort of fuel for your senior year?
AV: “Definitely. I want to win it next year, so we’ll see what happens.”
PNJ: How about long-term? Have you thought about any of those big goals are?
AV: “I want to get my scoring average down a little bit. I can’t remember what it is right now, but closer to even-par – maybe under-par. I want to play in college, as well. … I don’t think I’ll go pro. It’s not really in my vision.”
PNJ: Outside of high school golf, do you think all the tournaments in the offseason help you prepare for the fall?
AV: “Absolutely. I know other states, their season is in the spring. Coming straight from summer golf to high school golf is really helpful because you’re still in that competitive mindset.”
PNJ: Do you have any tournaments throughout the winter?
AV: “Florida is all-year-round for golf. But I don’t have as many tournaments as I do during the summer, but I try to still keep warm.”
PNJ: Do you have any tournaments coming up soon?
AV: “Yes. I have one in New Orleans in early December, then one in Point Clear – the tournament of champions for SJGT – and then I think I’ll play in the Tom Dorsey.”
PNJ: Now for some quick ones. Do you have any pre-match superstitions or traditions that you follow?
AV: “I say a little prayer, and then me and my parents have a small talk.”
PNJ: Any go-to snack or meal during the round or before the round?
AV: “Before the round, I usually have an egg sandwich – like a bacon, egg and cheese – or a bowl of yogurt. Then during the round, I have a peanut butter and banana sandwich cut into quarters, and I’ll eat a part of it every four holes.”
PNJ: Do you listen to any music before a round or when you’re warming up?
AV: “I listen to a lot of music. I like rock, reggae, country, really anything.”
PNJ: Anybody specific?
AV: “Bob Marley or Led Zeppelin.”
PNJ: Is there a dream course you’ve always wanted to play at?
AV: “My dream course was Pebble Beach, but I got to play that over the summer. That was really fun to achieve.”
PNJ: Anywhere else you’ve got your eye on now?
AV: “Probably St. Andrew’s. It’s a classic. That would be fun to play.”
PNJ: How about a dream golfer that you’ve always wanted to play with?
AV: “Nelly Korda, Viktor Hovland and Tiger Woods.”
PNJ: Are there any major golf influences that you follow?
AV: “I love watching Good Good (a golf brand and a group of golfers on YouTube). … Nelly Korda, I follow her a lot. And then Ellie Hildreth, she’s a junior golfer that’s a year older than me. She has a lot of drills and fun videos to watch.”
This isn’t the first time Abby Vernier has earned an award from the Pensacola News Journal this week.
But this award is definitely minimal compared to her accomplishment earlier this week.
After a third-place finish at the Class 2A state golf tournament in Howey-in-the-Hills, Vernier cemented herself as one of the area’s top high school golfers. She carded a two-day total of 148, bouncing back on the second day with a one-over par 72.
For her efforts, Vernier was named the PNJ Athlete of the Week after mustering 43.91% of the poll’s votes.
On Friday, Vernier was announced as the PNJ Girls Golfer of the Year. Safe to say she had a solid junior season with West Florida, which, as a team, made it to the region tournament for the first time in program history.
Next she has a few big tournaments coming up to start her offseason from high school golf. And she’s still got one more season at the high school level to accomplish some lofty – but definitely within reach – goals her senior year.
Here’s a quick question-and-answer session with Vernier after she spoke with PNJ Sports Reporter Ben Grieco.
Q & A with West Florida golfer Abby Vernier
PNJ: Overall, for your junior season, how did you think the year went?
Abby Vernier: “It was so much fun. We had a great team this year. Everyone was nice. … It was a fun time making it to regionals for the first time in school history. We were all in the hotel room, having fun. … Then I made it to state, which was fun.”
PNJ: What’s it like going to regionals as a team, especially since it was the first time?
AV: “It’s a totally different experience. Your practice rounds and dinners with them, it gave me a taste of what college golf would be like. It made me excited for the future.”
PNJ: Speaking of the state tournament, you finished in a tie for third. What was working for you during the tournament?
AV: “The first day, I was struggling a little bit. I had two tricky holes that raised my score a bit. Other than that, I feel like I played pretty solid. There’s some tight holes on the course, but I just had to recover a little bit with a solid short game.”
PNJ: With how close you were to the top, does it give you any sort of fuel for your senior year?
AV: “Definitely. I want to win it next year, so we’ll see what happens.”
PNJ: How about long-term? Have you thought about any of those big goals are?
AV: “I want to get my scoring average down a little bit. I can’t remember what it is right now, but closer to even-par – maybe under-par. I want to play in college, as well. … I don’t think I’ll go pro. It’s not really in my vision.”
PNJ: Outside of high school golf, do you think all the tournaments in the offseason help you prepare for the fall?
AV: “Absolutely. I know other states, their season is in the spring. Coming straight from summer golf to high school golf is really helpful because you’re still in that competitive mindset.”
PNJ: Do you have any tournaments throughout the winter?
AV: “Florida is all-year-round for golf. But I don’t have as many tournaments as I do during the summer, but I try to still keep warm.”
PNJ: Do you have any tournaments coming up soon?
AV: “Yes. I have one in New Orleans in early December, then one in Point Clear – the tournament of champions for SJGT – and then I think I’ll play in the Tom Dorsey.”
PNJ: Now for some quick ones. Do you have any pre-match superstitions or traditions that you follow?
AV: “I say a little prayer, and then me and my parents have a small talk.”
PNJ: Any go-to snack or meal during the round or before the round?
AV: “Before the round, I usually have an egg sandwich – like a bacon, egg and cheese – or a bowl of yogurt. Then during the round, I have a peanut butter and banana sandwich cut into quarters, and I’ll eat a part of it every four holes.”
PNJ: Do you listen to any music before a round or when you’re warming up?
AV: “I listen to a lot of music. I like rock, reggae, country, really anything.”
PNJ: Anybody specific?
AV: “Bob Marley or Led Zeppelin.”
PNJ: Is there a dream course you’ve always wanted to play at?
AV: “My dream course was Pebble Beach, but I got to play that over the summer. That was really fun to achieve.”
PNJ: Anywhere else you’ve got your eye on now?
AV: “Probably St. Andrew’s. It’s a classic. That would be fun to play.”
PNJ: How about a dream golfer that you’ve always wanted to play with?
AV: “Nelly Korda, Viktor Hovland and Tiger Woods.”
PNJ: Are there any major golf influences that you follow?
AV: “I love watching Good Good (a golf brand and a group of golfers on YouTube). … Nelly Korda, I follow her a lot. And then Ellie Hildreth, she’s a junior golfer that’s a year older than me. She has a lot of drills and fun videos to watch.”
Sources tell CBS Sports and 247Sports that Florida will conduct interviews for its general manager role this week. The question about the job is how the role will function at Florida. To oversimplify a rapidly evolving position in college football front offices, the GM title can take a few different forms functionally.
The first is essentially the associate AD of football, a job that in the estimation of one Power 4 AD will one day report directly to the AD at a lot of different schools. The archetype for this role is Austin Thomas at LSU or Marshall Malcow at Oregon (chief of staff), or Mark Pantoni at Ohio State, who was connected to the Florida GM opening back in the summer when Mark Robinson vacated it to go to Georgia. On Ohio State’s website, Pantoni’s bio reads: “In this position, Pantoni supervises all aspects of the program’s administrative duties for recruiting, including film evaluations, on-campus official and unofficial visits, the social media/creative team, travel and roster management.”
The second is a dialed-in roster management aficionado who is more of a straight up director of player personnel. His main role is to manage the salary cap and NIL compensation structure with a scouting background who is keyed into high school and portal scouting. He may have autonomy with personnel like being able to unilaterally offer scholarship offers like Texas Tech’s James Blanchard. Another GM like this is Billy Glasscock at Ole Miss.
And the third is the GM who has deep ties who is deeply connected in the locker room, he has the chops to go on in-home visits to help seal the deal. They can also make the most money in some spots like Alabama’s Courtney Morgan or be a former player themselves like Texas’ Brandon Harris. This is essentially a recruiting coordinator title (which used to be given to an assistant coach on the staff) on steroids.
Conversations around the industry think Florida is hiring someone who’s a little closer to column No. 1. Florida had the most public NIL saga in the young history of that type of player compensation with the Jaden Rashada mess. Expect the job to pay well, upwards of $700,000 a hint at how much power the role will entail.
Open jobs
Let’s take a look at some open gigs and what we’re hearing. This is not an all-encompassing list – we’re coming up dry on Tulsa scoop – but it’s a good primer before the final weekend begins. Matt Zenitz contributed to this report.
The Tar Heels have the best job open by orders of magnitude after firing Mack Brown before the final game of the regular season. With Florida and Baylor declining to fire their coaches due to headwinds in the industry of an uncertain December, the Heels took the plunge and now get their pick of the litter. Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith addressed interest Thursday with reporters. It mirrors Texas A&M kicking the tires on Lions head coach Dan Campbell last year (Smith is a UNC grad and Campbell played at Texas A&M). Of course, Campbell is now coaching the NFL’s best team while Smith is back as an offensive coordinator after being fired as Falcons coach last year.
“I appreciate it, love that place,” Smith said of UNC, via ESPN. “But that’s not my focus. I mean, I’ve got one of the best jobs in football right now. There’s a lot to be said too about [how you] can’t put a price on personal and professional happiness, which I have here.”
The 2024 Sarasota Sharks Turkey Meet kicked off on Friday, with Canadian Olympic gold medalist Summer McIntosh turning heads with a new personal best time in a secondary event.
McIntosh won the 500 free on Friday evening in 4:35.74, about eight seconds slower than her personal best, and followed it on Saturday morning with a 2:08.86 win in the 200 breast.
That 200 breast time was her first time swimming the event in yards; she has a best of 2:27.23 in long course meters and 2:29.31 in short course meters.
McIntosh cemented her status as the world’s top female swimmer in Paris with gold medals in the 200 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM and a silver in the 400 free, so her having a fast 200 breaststroke is not a huge surprise. Swimming a 2:08, though, at this point of the season, in a local club meet, was enough to catch attention. For perspective, the top 200 breaststroker in the high school class of 2025 (which is likely where McIntosh would have been if she had taken the traditional route) is Addie Robillard with a 2:08.40.
McIntosh just-missed Sabyne Brisson’s 2023 LSC Record of 2:08.34, done when Brisson was a freshman at Georgia Tech.
Given what McIntosh swam in the 500 free, it’s pretty easy to project that she has a 2:06 or 2:05 200 yard breaststroke in her – and that’s in what is probably her 9th or 10th best yards event.
In the 200 IM, where her breaststroke is most important, she split 37.53 en route to gold in the Olympic final. That was a ways behind the silver medalist Kate Douglass, who won the 200 breaststroke in Paris, but is comparable to the other non-breatstroke IMers like bronze medalist Kaylee McKeown (37.77) and Yi Yuting (37.37)
She is also scheduled to swim a 100 fly, 100 back, and 100 breast this weekend, which will fill out her career yards IMX score. She has no 100 yard back time, her best 100 yard breast is a 1:04.11 from this meet in 2022, and her best 100 yard fly time is a 51.10 from Winter Juniors East in December 2022.
The meet was mostly designed as a racing opportunity for Winter Juniors-and-below members of the Sharks team, along with a few other smaller local clubs, so most of the rest of Sarasota’s top swimmers did not compete. For example, McIntosh won the 500 free by more than 30 seconds and the 200 breast by almost 10.
Florida football coach Billy Napier received a vote of confidence on Thursday from athletic director Scott Stricklin, a sign that more than likely Napier will return for a fourth season.
Players will look to reward that faith from administration in Napier when the Florida Gators play Saturday afternoon at No. 5 Texas (noon, ABC).
“We’re playing for him, and that’s one thing that I have kind of seen misconceptions of,” Florida tight end Hayden Hansen said. “This locker room is playing for him and playing hard. There’s belief still. There’s belief. We’re going to go out and try to win out, get bowl eligible, win the bowl game, and carry over this big momentum into next season.”
Florida is playing for the first time against Texas since 1940 and the first time in Austin, Texas, since 1939. The Longhorns (7-1, 3-1 SEC) are coming off an open week after a 30-15 loss to No. 2 Georgia. Florida lost to Georgia 34-20 last week in Jacksonville.
Here are five players to watch for Florida in its matchup against the Longhorns:
Florida football WR Aidan Mizell
The 6-foot-2, 186-pound Mizell had 4 catches for 66 yards in UF’s last game against Georgia, including a 43-yard TD catch that put the Gators up 7-3 on the Bulldogs in the second quarter. A redshirt freshman, Mizell is continuing to gain confidence this season with 10 catches for 143 yards and 2 TDs.
“t’s really just for me just staying consistent in every aspect, whether that be in the weight room, in the lunchroom, meeting room, on the field,” Mizell said. “Just staying consistent and just taking the knowledge that my coaches and the staff is giving me. It’s helped me.”
Florida football RB Ja’Kobi Jackson
The 5-11, 209-pound Jackson rushed for a season 74 yards on 12 carries and scored 1 TD last week against Georgia. He’s helped UF overcome mounting injuries at running back, as starter Montrell Johnson Jr. missed his second straight game against UGA with a leg injury.
A JUCO transfer who played high school football at Pensacola Catholic, Jackson has rushed for 227 yards and 4 TDs this season on 5.7 yards per carry.
“This season has been pretty good for me,” Jackson said. “Just learning the system and just trying to do whatever. When my number’s called, I just try to show up and do what I do.”
Florida football DB Aaron Gates
The 6-0, 196-pound Gates, a sophomore from Moreland, Ga., is emerging as one of the most consistent players in the secondary for UF this season. Against Georgia, Gates had four tackles, including a tackle for loss, and had an interception that he returned 30 yards. For the season, Gates had posted 14 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 3 pass breakups and an interception.
“Gates is one of our best football players,” Napier said. “Obviously I had a high opinion of him coming out, and he’s big, long. He’s dense. He’s extremely quick and fast. He’s very instinctive.”
Given the mounting injuries to UF’s secondary, Napier said there’s a chance Gates could shift from the star position to play some safety or cornerback.
“That’s up to the coaches, wherever they want to use me, wherever they see fit,” Gates said. “I feel like I’m up to the task to play everywhere in the back end.”
Florida football DB Trikweze Bridges
Bridges had a team-high eight tackles against Georgia, and like Gates, could be forced to play multiple positions due to mounting injuries in the secondary. Against Georgia, the 6-2, 200-pound Bridges started the game at safety and finished at cornerback.
For the season, Bridges has posted 42 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, two forced fumbles, two pass breakups and an interception.
Florida football LB Myles Graham
A true freshman, the 6-1, 228-pound Graham posted his first career sack against Georgia and had three tackles. For the season, Graham has 10 tackles and a sack.
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — It’s no surprise that students are pushing back on cellphone bans in classrooms. But school administrators in one South Florida county working to pull students’ eyes away from their screens are facing some resistance from another group as well – parents.
Since the beginning of the 2024 school year in August, students in Broward County Public Schools, the country’s sixth largest district, have been barred from using cellphones during the school day, including during lunch and breaks, unless given special permission.
The schools are some of the many across the country wrestling with how to crack down on cellphones, at a time when experts say social media use among young people is nearly universal – and that screen time is linked to higher rates of anxiety and depression among kids.
But a survey sent out by the South Florida school district earlier this fall found that of the more than 70,000 students, teachers and parents surveyed, nearly one in five parents believe the cellphone ban is having a negative impact on their student’s wellbeing.
Among the top concerns for the students and parents surveyed is not being able to communicate with their family members, especially in an emergency — an anxiety that cuts deep in the district that’s home to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where a 2018 shooting killed 17 people.
District officials have said students can use their phones during an emergency and that teachers have the flexibility to grant kids access for other reasons too.
“I don’t think any of us thinks kids should be on their phones during class,” said Erin Gohl, a parent and advocate in the district.
“We’re really talking about giving kids tools during those times when they need it,” she added, including letting students use their phones for “positive mental health purposes”.
Officials in the Fort Lauderdale-area district have acknowledged that implementation of the policy has been inconsistent. Some teachers have struggled to monitor students’ phone use, and are facing the reality that for some kids, phones can be a needed tool to access online lessons and turn in assignments, especially for those who don’t have a school-issued laptop. And parents have argued their students are better off with their phones, helping them coordinate afternoon pickup times or text their parents for advice about a school bully.
“I don’t expect students to say — or parents of high schoolers to say — right, that, they don’t want their kids to have cellphones,” said Howard Hepburn, Broward superintendent of schools. “The expectation that we’re going to just have a hard stop is not reality. It takes time.”
Landyn Spellberg, a student advisor to the Broward school board, said there are a lot of benefits to phones — and that the district’s blanket ban isn’t helping students with something many adults still struggle with: learning how to use technology in a healthy way.
“I think it’s important that we teach students about the negatives,” he said. “We don’t inform students of those things.”
___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
However, Kricketfelt made the controversial decision to remain in her home, defying these orders.
During the hurricane, the content creator documented her experience through a series of TikTok videos showing her going about her daily routines — including cooking meals and relaxing in her home — while the storm raged outside.
Her content during this period garnered millions of views and sparked intense debate among viewers.
In one of her videos, Kricketfelt states: “I’m not leaving. I’m staying right here in my house in Tampa, Florida.”
She goes on to explain her reasoning: “My house is built to withstand hurricane-force winds. I’m in a non-flood zone. I have hurricane impact windows.”
Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida as Cat 3 storm spawns tornadoes with millions at risk
Justification for staying
Kricketfelt offered several reasons for her decision to remain in her home, including:
Home Safety: She emphasized the structural integrity of her house.
Previous Experience: “I’ve been through many hurricanes before. I know what I’m doing.”
Preparation: “I have plenty of food, water, and supplies.”
Public reaction and criticism
Her decision elicited strong reactions from the public, with many people criticizing her actions as irresponsible and potentially dangerous.
One commenter on social media wrote: “What about your kids? This is so selfish and ignorant.”
I’m not leaving. I’m staying right here in my house in Tampa, Florida
@KricketfeltTikTok
Kricketfelt responded with: “I’m not being selfish. I’m being practical. My kids are safe here with me.”
Privilege and responsibility
Some pointed out that her ability to stay home safely during a hurricane reflected her wealth and privilege.
Kricketfelt acknowledged this, stating: “I know I’m fortunate to have a safe home. Not everyone has that option.”
As a social media influencer with a large following, Kricketfelt’s actions were scrutinized for their potential impact on her audience’s behavior during natural disasters.
She addressed this concern, saying: “I’m not telling anyone else what to do. This is my personal decision.”
Some also argued that individuals who choose to ignore evacuation orders could potentially strain emergency services, putting themselves and first responders at unnecessary risk.
However, Kricketfelt made the controversial decision to remain in her home, defying these orders.
During the hurricane, the content creator documented her experience through a series of TikTok videos showing her going about her daily routines — including cooking meals and relaxing in her home — while the storm raged outside.
Her content during this period garnered millions of views and sparked intense debate among viewers.
In one of her videos, Kricketfelt states: “I’m not leaving. I’m staying right here in my house in Tampa, Florida.”
She goes on to explain her reasoning: “My house is built to withstand hurricane-force winds. I’m in a non-flood zone. I have hurricane impact windows.”
Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida as Cat 3 storm spawns tornadoes with millions at risk
Justification for staying
Kricketfelt offered several reasons for her decision to remain in her home, including:
Home Safety: She emphasized the structural integrity of her house.
Previous Experience: “I’ve been through many hurricanes before. I know what I’m doing.”
Preparation: “I have plenty of food, water, and supplies.”
Public reaction and criticism
Her decision elicited strong reactions from the public, with many people criticizing her actions as irresponsible and potentially dangerous.
One commenter on social media wrote: “What about your kids? This is so selfish and ignorant.”
I’m not leaving. I’m staying right here in my house in Tampa, Florida
@KricketfeltTikTok
Kricketfelt responded with: “I’m not being selfish. I’m being practical. My kids are safe here with me.”
Privilege and responsibility
Some pointed out that her ability to stay home safely during a hurricane reflected her wealth and privilege.
Kricketfelt acknowledged this, stating: “I know I’m fortunate to have a safe home. Not everyone has that option.”
As a social media influencer with a large following, Kricketfelt’s actions were scrutinized for their potential impact on her audience’s behavior during natural disasters.
She addressed this concern, saying: “I’m not telling anyone else what to do. This is my personal decision.”
Some also argued that individuals who choose to ignore evacuation orders could potentially strain emergency services, putting themselves and first responders at unnecessary risk.
