Mike Smalls Jr. took to the beach in a tent to live stream through Hurricane Helene. The Category 3 hurricane slammed into the Florida coast on September 26, 2024, bringing monstrous winds and flooding along.
Determined to prove how endurance would see him through challenges, Smalls Jr. started his “Surviving Hurricane Helene in a Tent” challenge, broadcasting live as the storm hit his region hard. As the waters began to rise, and heavy winds blew, Smalls Jr. continued with his attempt, but it got precariously real since the hurricane went harder.
He struggled so hard to hold up the tent against the very violent storm, braving the storm throughout the stream.
After an initial confident tone, it didn’t take long for him to realize quite how bad the situation was getting as the ferocity of the storm grew. Floodwaters invaded his campsite, and gusts banned continuing in any serious capacity. The situation took a dramatic turn as Smalls abandoned the challenge-albeit after admitting he had bitten off more than he could chew. “This might be my last stream on Kick,” he jested before calling it quits.
Fortunately, the streamer came out unharmed from the whole ordeal and later took to social media to describe his experience. In a tweet, Smalls wrote, “I almost died. I’ll never try something this crazy again.” The fact that he survived did nothing to quell the very heated public debate about how far some content creators are willing to go in taking extreme risks just for views.
In no time, the stream went viral, garnering millions of views and sending social media into a wildfire of discussions. Though some viewers praised Smalls for his bravery, many were sure to point out that what he did was not a bright thing to do. “There’s a difference between being entertaining and being reckless,” one user commented, echoing the concerns many people felt he had crossed a line.
Hurricane Helene pounded Florida and other parts of the Southeast, leaving them in shambles. The storm had winds of 140 mph with widespread flooding, home destruction, power outages, and even multiple fatalities. That’s why law enforcement called for residents to evacuate their homes, but content creators like Smalls chose to disregard warnings so they could get away with their dangerous stunts.
