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On Sunday evening, as Hurricane Debby approached Florida’s Big Bend, the National Weather Service (NWS) sent Floridians a helpful admonition alongside a tornado warning.
“Take shelter now in a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building,” the alert read.
The National Weather Service telling Floridians to hide in our basements is quite something pic.twitter.com/ocCJWL5lN8
— Holly Bullard (@HollyBullardFL) August 4, 2024
Seemingly unbeknownst to the NWS, Florida is too close to sea level for homes to have basements. At the very least, the alert should have reminded residents to bring snorkeling or scuba gear to their cellar.
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Many users on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, had some fun takes in response to the weather service’s blunder.
One invoked the Cartoon Network show Sealab 2021.
Floridians escaping to their basements: pic.twitter.com/7GGt3U4ivS
— Holly Bullard (@HollyBullardFL) August 5, 2024
Another went the photorealistic scuba route.
Ready!😂😂😂🌪ï¸ðŸŒ´ðŸ¦© pic.twitter.com/JMHupm6UzY
— LS 'tximeleta txiki ederra' Walts (@LSWalts) August 5, 2024
A third pointed out that Floridians do, in fact, have basements, but they go by a different name here in the Sunshine State.
We have basements in Florida. They’re called swimming pools.
— Scott F. 🊠(FireHawke) (@_Firehawke_) August 5, 2024
