As most Floridians packed up their belongings, made travel arrangements or stocked up on emergency supplies in preparation for Hurricane Irma’s imminent arrival, a few individuals planned for the powerful storm in a different way - by baking cakes.

Because, you know, why not?

Images of colourful cakes with blue, yellow and green icing swirled to resemble satellite images of the hurricane started popping up on social media this week. The Florida-based supermarket Publix was one of the first to offer up hurricane-themed cakes in their stores.

In one photo uploaded to Twitter on Thursday, a Publix cake is shown with green swirly icing and plastic palm trees and a surfboard poking out of the top as well as a Muskoka chair that appears to be tossed on its side from the storm.

Another elaborately decorated cake designed by the same grocery chain includes the text “Go Away Irma” written on the platter bearing the dessert.


Publix Bakery for the WIN: GO AWAY IRMA! Stay safe friends ❤️

Posted by Kaitlyn Ross 11Alive on Thursday, September 7, 2017

A chocolate chip cookie cake photographed in one of Publix’s locations had a green icing “hurricane” with a red eye of the storm beside the text “Weather it out” on its top.

The Publix employees weren’t the only ones baking up a storm ahead of Hurricane Irma. A few independent shops and at-home enthusiasts joined in on the fun and created stormy treats of their own.

One Twitter user said they baked a “hurricake” with blue whirly icing to celebrate Hurricane Irma “not wiping out Puerto Rico.”

A small bakery in South Carolina, Hey Sugar Shop, baked Hurricane Irma-themed cookies that were shaped like clouds and raindrops. They were also selling cookies with satellite swirls and images with the text “Hurricane Evacuation Route.”

Despite the seemingly light-hearted nature behind the baked goods, a few online commenters took issue with the themed treats.

One Twitter user made a joke aimed at pointing out the frivolity of the cakes during such a devastating storm.

A talk show host in Miami questioned the timing of the cakes in a tweet posted Wednesday.

One Twitter account based in Tennessee used the cakes to poke fun at Florida.

And another user remarked on her mother’s “priorities” during the emergency.