(NewsNation) — Social media influencer Ryan Magin decided to ride out Hurricane Milton in a St. Petersburg, Florida, apartment building just weeks after his home was destroyed by Hurricane Helene.
“Traumatic is a word for it, but we’re pretty resilient,” Magin told NewsNation’s Nichole Berlie on Thursday.
Magin’s Hurricane Milton updates racked up hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok. In one clip, Magin showed his building’s parking garage filling with water. In another, he showed city streets completely flooded.
The 41-year-old said most of his neighbors had evacuated the building, and he was only aware of one other couple who stayed behind.
“We didn’t lose power, thankfully; we barely lost internet for a little bit,” he said.
Magin’s decision to stay back in what he called “a little concrete fortress” came just days after his family’s home was wrecked by Hurricane Helene.
“This is the second time our house has been destroyed by a hurricane. Idalia flooded our house the first time,” he said.
Despite the run of bad luck, the lifelong Florida resident said he has no intention of leaving: “We love it here.”