Pop-up attractions during a hurricane?
A red Jeep Grand Cherokee abandoned on Myrtle Beach became somewhat of a tourist trap on Thursday as Hurricane Dorian bore down on the Carolinas.
Photos and videos of people taking in the odd sight emerged on social media, showing the vehicle catching some waves in the rising tide.
Myrtle Beach police told local CBS-affiliate WNCN the driver of the Jeep drove toward the ocean to see how far the vehicle could get when it got stuck in the sand.
According to the Sun News, Lt. Jon Evans with Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue said police plan to leave the Jeep where it is for now.
The locals do not seem to mind too much. Some reportedly tried to move it, while others posed for photos. One man went for a meditation pose.
@EdPiotrowski Whats your hot take on this one? pic.twitter.com/VrDWT0FNeI
— TheDailyStaley (@daily_staley) September 5, 2019
News crews also used the Jeep as a backdrop for live shots.
The vehicle being watched nearly as much as April the Giraffe — rolling in the ocean. Someone drove on the beach in a hurricane and got stuck. They abandoned the vehicle and are fine ? ?: and giraffe comment @RobertZepeda pic.twitter.com/BfMAiA1LiW
— Ginger Zee (@Ginger_Zee) September 5, 2019
For those at home looking to keep tabs on the status of the Jeep, local ABC-affiliate WPDE had a live cam up with more than 14,000 people watching when this report was written.
Despite the appeal of a whimsically misplaced Jeep in a hurricane, Dorian remains a dangerous threat to the Carolinas.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster warned people to stay indoors. “We urge everybody to stay inside. if you don’t need to be out, don’t go out. And in this kind of situation, you don’t need to go out, stay off the streets, it’s very dangerous,” he said on Thursday.
As of Thursday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said the eye of Dorian was just off the shore of Cape Romain, South Carolina. Heavy rain, storm surge, flooding, strong winds, and tornadoes all remain hazards for anyone in the area.
