As terrified residents of the U.S. Sunshine State prepare for Hurricane Milton to head through the Gulf of Mexico toward Tampa Bay, many have abandoned their homes during evacuations or taken emergency measures to fortify their homes against the Category 5 storm — but for some Swifties, There’s only one thing on their mind.
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour arrives in Miami this Thursday, October 18, where she will play three dates and conclude her stay in the Florida city on Saturday, October 20.
Ahead of the concerts, Swifties with tickets to the Miami shows have expressed their fears online that the Miami leg of the Eras Tour will ultimately be canceled in the wake of the hurricane that is expected to bring winds of 190 miles per hour to the state of Florida to take.
Miami is not expected to fall within the storm’s path, according to meteorologists in the region, but Hurricane Milton is expected to cause travel disruptions in Florida, which could hinder fans’ ability to reach the city.
However, as residents of Tampa Bay and the west coast of Florida are warned that staying in their homes will mean almost certain death, some in the state have hit back at concerned Swifties for complaining about the concert while people’s lives were in danger.
Taylor Swift fans have expressed their fears that the Miami leg of the Eras Tour next week will be canceled or postponed due to Hurricane Milton, but others have urged them to consider the bigger picture.
Nearly the entire west coast of Florida is under a hurricane warning today as the storm and its 185 mph winds creep toward the state, sucking energy from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The plane is expected to land at 4 a.m. local time.
The system threatens the densely populated Tampa metro area – which has more than 3.3 million residents – with a potential direct hit tomorrow.
Earlier this week, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned residents that if they don’t evacuate, “you’re going to die.” Milton is expected to bring a possible storm surge of 8 to 12 feet and widespread flooding to the area.
Hurricane Milton, a Category 5 storm traveling at 200 miles per hour, will make landfall in Florida’s Tampa Bay early Thursday morning
Fans have been talking on X/Twitter about the Eras Tour coming to Miami next week, with some wondering why it was scheduled during hurricane season in Florida.
Evacuation orders began at 10am yesterday, with petrol and flights sold out as locals began to flee. Traffic was heavy on northbound Interstate 75 as crews also rushed to clear debris left behind by the devastating Hurricane Helene just 12 days ago.
Milton was so strong overnight that experts called for it to be given unprecedented Category 6 status, but the hurricane was downgraded to Category 4 early this morning. Forecasters warn that Milton is “expected to grow in size” and “a extremely dangerous hurricane’ will remain when it makes landfall.
As residents prepare for what is expected to be one of the worst hurricanes on record, it comes just weeks after towns and cities were devastated by Storm Helene, which also claimed 230 lives.
However, as people take steps to protect themselves and their families, Swifties have expressed concern that the Eras Tour will be cancelled; otherwise they can’t come to Hard Rock Stadium next week.
Some fans expressed fears for their safety as they attend the Eras Tour in Miami next week. The South Florida city is not expected to be severely affected by the hurricane
One person wrote on X/Twitter: ‘Will the Eras Tour in Miami be postponed due to the hurricane? Or is that area not affected? I hope everyone stays safe [right now].’
Another said: ‘Anyone else going to Eras Tour Miami is scared.’
One fan, who is not from Miami, revealed that they had booked a flight to the Florida city for October 14, but were “really worried” about the hurricane.
And a particularly angry Swiftie added: “If these stupid hurricanes are going to disrupt the Eras Tour Miami and they have to be canceled, I’m losing it.”
They added that they “didn’t have a whole Ticketmaster battle for this.”
CBS News meteorologist KC Sherman said during a broadcast about Miami, “For South Florida [where Miami is located] this won’t be a big problem for us. We are experiencing some rain. We are experiencing some wind.
“But this is an event that we will weather here locally just fine.”
Miami is not expected to be hit hard by Hurricane Milton.
While some fans speculated on whether or not the Miami leg of the tour would happen, others hit back, pointing out that Floridians have bigger things to worry about as they prepare for the storm.
One person said: ‘With all due respect, I couldn’t care less if you miss the Eras Tour Miami [because] of the hurricane.
“So many people are affected and you all care about this concert? Sorry you bought the tickets a year ago, but if push comes to shove, you’ll get your money back.”
Others have criticized the Swifties, complaining for being “inconsiderate” given the number of people who will be displaced as a result of the storm.
Another person, a Swiftie from Tampa with tickets to the Eras Tour in Miami next week, said: “My city is about to be absolutely destroyed, we had no choice but to evacuate and we have already lost EVERYTHING. [storm] Heleen last week.
“The Eras Tour is the last thing on my mind, and you have to prioritize the safety of the fans.