An OnlyFans model has sparked backlash for "disgusting" weather report during the catastrophic Hurricane Helene.
Hundreds of people have tragically lost their lives after the storm decimated towns and destroyed roads in the southeast.
The hurricane's path of devastation began on Thursday (September 26) after crashing into Florida‘s Big Bend as a Category 4 hurricane, before traveling northwards through the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and Virginia.
According to CNN, 160 people have died, a figure that is expected to increase, and many more civilians remain missing.
“It’s not just a catastrophic storm. It’s a historic, history-making storm,” President Joe Biden said in a statement, cited by The Guardian.
He added that “damage from the hurricane stretches across at least 10 states," and that his administration is giving states “everything we have” to help.
Influencer and OnlyFans model Skyler Simpson, who boasts 1 million followers on Instagram, lives in Tampa, Florida - where the hurricane caused unprecedented damage in the area as water levels surpassed 6ft, per The New York Post.
Simpson took to her social media on Sunday (September 29) to share a mock news report of her sporting a vibrant pink string bikini and holding an umbrella while standing in the middle of a flood.
“Live, reporting from Tampa Bay, on Bayshore Boulevard I think everybody’s been a little…” she said before she was smacked in the face with ice cubes, which were thrown at her from off-camera.
Watch the clip below:The influencer, who had difficulties with the umbrella she was holding, was holding a handheld microphone.
"I like to go for a walk with my family,” she continued, as she was hit once again with an ice cube. “As you can see, I think people got a little dramatic with how the weather was gonna be here, the storm obviously passed and went up to Tallahassee.
"I think it’s a beautiful night out here on Bayshore," she continued. “Perfect for strolling with your family, and having a nice, nighttime walk.
“I feel great, Tampa Bay feels great,” Simpson said, as someone standing behind the camera splashed water into her face. “Be safe. Skyler Simpson. Back to you Chris,” she concluded.
Some viewers weren’t entertained by the clip and called her out for making fun of a tragedy that had claimed the lives of many civilians.
"Hilarious. People died so let’s make jokes," one person slammed. "Disgusting. Selling content while others are suffering. Karma will get you," another blasted.
"Incredibly poor taste with this. People have died. Or are seriously injured. Would you wanna be in their shoes? Just because you think you had a fun drunk moment doesn’t mean this post should stay on your account. So if you’ve got tact you’ll delete it," a third said.
"5 people have died and thousands lost their homes but sure walk around in a bikini pretending this is all a joke," a fourth added.
Helene is the second-deadliest hurricane to strike the US in the past 50 years, following Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1,833 people in 2005.
Among the dead are a seven-year-old boy and his grandparents who were tragically swept away by floodwaters in Asheville, North Carolina.
About 1.3 million homes and businesses remain without power, according to PowerOutage.us.
That includes just under 500,000 in South Carolina and more than 350,000 in Georgia and North Carolina. In South Carolina and the mountains of North Carolina, about half of the outages will need a “significant replacement of infrastructure,” utility Duke Energy said, CNN reported.
Our thoughts continue to be with everyone affected by this tragedy.
.jpg_3nxLfz?tr=h-40)
.jpg_wne4ke?tr=h-184)
.jpg_t3VZnX?tr=h-184)
.jpg_FBttod?tr=h-184)
