Watch wild video of Florida man kayaking through his flooded living room amid Hurricane Helene

TAMPA, FLORIDA: Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida on Thursday, September 26, causing catastrophic destruction in the state through the early hours of September 27.

However, the Category 4 hurricane did not dampen the spirit of Matt Heller from Tampa, who opted to stay at his flooded house in a kayak. As Helene moved from the Sunshine State to Georgia, flooding became the primary concern.

In a viral TikTok video, Heller was seen paddling his kayak inside his house, which was flooded up to four feet. The video was widely shared across social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter).

Matt Heller says the kayak was his 'escape plan'

As Hurricane Helene intensified, Matt Heller filmed himself kayaking in his purple vessel through the flooded living room and later went live to showcase the aftermath of the 140-mile-per-hour storm.

He later spoke to CNN about his experience kayaking in his living room while Hurricane Helene passed through Florida.

"The kayak was my escape plan in case stuff got too hairy, we could get out," he said. "I didn’t think I was gonna need it in my living room."

Heller mentioned that he remained in his kayak, floating inside the flooded living room, and lit candles when the power went out.

He expressed the shock felt by many others in the Tampa Bay area as they witnessed the rapid landfall of Helene, stating, "Within an hour and a half, it went up about four feet from nothing."

Heller stated that this was the first time his home had experienced such a situation.

Hurricane Helene causes destruction in Florida

Helene made its landfall as a Category 4 storm near Perry in Florida on September 26 around 11.10 am ET, as per USA Today. It carried its path across the Southeast of the USA, moving to Georgia, causing destruction all the way.

The life-threatening flood resulted in the deaths of at least 43 people, destroyed neighborhoods, caused mudslides, and left 3.5 million homes and businesses without power.

The storm that struck Tampa Bay broke records, with the Cedar Key community north of the city experiencing water levels rising over 10 feet, according to Fox Weather.

In a press conference on September 27, Governor Ron DeSantis noted that the storm passed through Florida's Big Bend region, which had already been affected by two strong storms the previous year.

He stated that the destruction in Dixie County and Ybor City "exceeded the damage" caused by Hurricanes Idalia and Debbie, as per Politico.

Five people lost their lives in Pinellas County, with two fatalities each in Treasure Island and Indian Rocks Beach, and one person found dead in Dunedin.

Internet reacts with humor to Florida man kayaking in his flooded home

Netizens shared amusing reactions to Matt Heller kayaking in his flooded living room while Hurricane Helene swept through Florida.

"Florida Man always makes the best out of the situation. Look how cozy he is!" a user said.

"His insurance company watching this," another said, sharing a meme.

"Bro’s trying to deep fry himself in that swamp water and electricity," a user joked.

"If you’re still alive. This video should generate enough money to fix the foundation," read a response.

"That's called 'rolling with the punches,'" another chimed in.

"The level of calmness," someone else quipped.

"It's only missing an alligator for the full Florida experience," an individual wrote.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.