LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has recently taken the internet by storm, quite literally. Social media has been swept away by a deluge of Hillary Clinton memes, all thanks to an unexpected weather phenomenon: Hurricane Hilary.
At first glance, one might assume that Hurricane Hilary was named after the controversial political figure. However, in a twist that set social media abuzz, it turns out that the storm's name was just coincidentally sounds like the former secretary of state's moniker.
The convergence of Hurricane Hilary with Hillary Clinton unleashed a storm of creativity and humor across social media platforms, with countless users sharing their hilariously imaginative takes on the situation.
Hurricane Hilary x Hillary Clinton
The hilarity all began with a satirical news piece published by the Babylon Bee, a well-known source of tongue-in-cheek news. The article playfully depicted Hurricane Hilary's "landfall" in California, humorously noting that the storm had efficiently wiped out "tens of thousands of emails upon her arrival."
The outlet "quoted" San Diego resident Jim McKay, who cheekily remarked, "My house is fine, but my email server -- annihilated."
The storm's impact on technology didn't end there. Local resident Alicia Gonzales lightheartedly shared her experience, stating that while she emerged unscathed, her cell phone wasn't as fortunate.
"It's like someone took a hammer to this thing," she quipped, adding, "People are letting down their guard because Hilary has weakened, but she's still got power where it counts."
The satirical piece even appeared to quote local officials. Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass humorously acknowledged the potential "catastrophic loss - of data, at least," referring to the possibility of hundreds of thousands of emails being lost.
"I myself was not spared," she lamented, sharing that her own incriminating emails had been wiped out, including correspondence about bribery money and friendly relations with the Castro family.
Amid the laughter, "experts" shed light on the hurricane's unexpected weakening, attributing it to a southward-moving tropical depression named Donald, a nod to Clinton's 2016 political rival, Donald Trump.
Hillary Clinton roasted online
Social media platforms erupted with a torrent of Hurricane Hilary memes, each more creative and amusing than the last.
One meme, in video form, humorously traced the storm's movement using a map of Mexico and the United States, with Hillary Clinton's face comically superimposed. The video playfully hinted at the storm's trajectory by showing Clinton moving in tandem with the hurricane, evoking chuckles from all who viewed it.
A user's caption accompanying the meme read, “Hurricane Hilary is about to Arkancide Southern California,” cleverly mixing weather humor with a dash of political intrigue.
Even politicians joined the fray, injecting their own humorous commentary. Georgia Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted, "Hillary downgraded to a tropical storm. She can’t even succeed as a hurricane but likely still deadly... First tropical storm in 84 years, stay safe California!"
One Twitter user quipped, "Leave it to a Hurricane named Hilary to peter out in the end to a tropical storm In Typical @HillaryClinton fashion," capturing the spirit of the storm's unexpected turn.
Amid the viral memes, a few tongue-in-cheek "historical facts" emerged, with some asserting that "Hurricane Hilary" was a college nickname for Hillary Clinton. Others drew connections to past events, playfully noting, "You know who else dealt with a #Hurriquake named Hillary before? Haiti…that’s who! Dear Clintons, we’re still wondering where’s the money by the way?!"
In all seriousness though, it's worth mentioning that the naming of storms evolved over time. Back in the 1950s, the United States adopted a system of naming storms after women, following an alphabetical order. By 1978, both male and female names were used for storms in the Northern Pacific region, adding a layer of trivia to the mix.
Despite the humorous undertone, it's important to acknowledge the very real impact of Hurricane Hilary. With winds reaching a staggering 110 miles per hour, parts of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula and the Southwestern United States are grappling with heavy rains and potentially "catastrophic and life-threatening" flooding, according to reports from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
While Hurricane Hilary was downgraded from a Category 4 to a Category 2 storm, its ability to cause "extensive damage" along the Baja California coast remained a concern throughout the weekend.
