While Hurricane Helene ripped through the state, parties raged across town.
The Category 4 hurricane made landfall Thursday evening and carried winds up to 60 mph in Gainesville. The storm left the city with broken power lines, damaged trees and blocked roadways. No major injuries were reported.
Despite campus closures and statewide evacuation notices, Aidan Smythe, a 21-year-old UF finance senior, maintained his longstanding tradition of hosting hurricane parties.
“Every time there’s a hurricane, there’s gotta be a party,” said Smythe, who was raised in Fleming Island, Florida. “That’s what hurricanes are for. I can’t remember not doing it.”
Smythe hosted a party called the Sabal Post with his roommates at their apartment on Sept. 26, which he advertised to begin at 7:48 p.m. on a “UF 2026” public Snapchat group. He said they selected a time at random, as it’s been a tradition for every party they host. The party had no theme, and everyone was invited to attend free of charge.
"Some guy texted me, [and] he was like, 'How much is cover?'” Smythe said. “I was like, 'Dude, we're not making you pay to walk into my apartment.'"
On Friday, White Buffalo, a bar in downtown Gainesville, hosted a post-hurricane party with free entry all night. Students like An Le, a 21-year-old UF public health and geography senior, went for entertainment after hunkering down in their dorms, apartments and houses when the hurricane made landfall.
“It’s not raining today, most of Gainesville is under a power outage right now and everyone’s really bored,” Le said. “We just wanted to do something fun and make the most out of the situation.”
Le and her roommate, Soren Vanderschouw-Turner, a 21-year-old UF economics senior, were both at White Buffalo to celebrate their friend’s birthday. After losing power in their apartment, they saw no reason to stay home.
“I was confident we’d be safe,” Vanderschouw-Turner said. “Right now, I don’t have power either… I’d rather be out here with power.”
Julianne Robinson, a 21-year-old zoology senior, said she was afraid the tree outside her window was going to crash the night of the hurricane because it was swaying at a 45-degree angle.
But as the storm passed and damage appeared minimal, she decided to go out to White Buffalo with her friends the following night.
“The weather’s not bad anymore, so it’s safe to go,” she said.
For local liquor store clerk Dylan Phelps, the arrival of a hurricane in Florida stirs up more than just storm clouds — it often triggers a rush for alcohol, a key ingredient in the state’s infamous hurricane parties.
“Friday was actually kind of slow,” the 28-year-old Gainesville employee said. “Everybody got their supplies Wednesday night [and] Thursday morning.”
Phelps works at Gator Beverage, which is conveniently located near campus on University Avenue. After UF canceled classes Thursday and Friday, Phelps said students likely stocked up in preparation for spending long stretches indoors.
“Because a hurricane ran through, it might incentivize people to go out and try to meet up with friends, because there might not be power at the house,” Phelps said. “Or [maybe] they realize that their beer has gone warm.”
Despite the storm, Phelps said Gator Beverage never lost power and was able to meet the community’s demand for alcohol.
He said the store was lucky to be able to supply cold beer during widespread power outages.
“Some people were buying two handles worth of vodka or a handle of tequila as opposed to a fifth of tequila,” Phelps said. “There was definitely an increase in quantity when it comes to hurricane season.”
Contact Annie Wang and Sabrina Castro at awang@alligator.org and scastro@alligator.org. Follow them on X @wynwg and @sabs_wurld.
Annie Wang is a sophomore journalism student and the Fall 2024 University Administration Reporter. She previously wrote for the University Desk as a General Assignment reporter. In her spare time, she can be found reading and writing book reviews.
Sabrina Castro is a rising senior studying journalism at the University of Florida and a Summer 2024 reporter for The Avenue. In her free time you can find her scrolling TikTok or searching for hidden gems at local thrift stores.
