As Hurricane Milton barrelled toward western Florida this week, viewers watched coverage of trees uprooted and lying in roads; roofs flying from strong gusts of wind; and streets turned into rivers amid driving rain. Millions tuned in from around the world for the firsthand accounts of the residents who stayed.

But the reports many watched weren’t narrated by anchors on CNN or NBC – they were delivered in real-time, endless video streams by TikTok users.