'Do not shoot the storm': Police urge Florida gun owners not to open fire on Hurricane Irma

It was a distinctly Floridian twist: a sheriff in the southeastern US state known for its love of guns has warned residents not to shoot at Hurricane Irma after an online prank promoting the idea went viral.

"To clarify, DO NOT shoot weapons @ #Irma," the office of the sheriff of Pasco County, on the state's west coast, tweeted late on Saturday as the storm made landfall.

"You won't make it turn around & it will have very dangerous side effects" the message added, in reference to the unpredictable flight path shots fired may follow.

The idea started as a joke on Facebook, inspired by "a combination of stress and boredom," 22-year-old Ryon Edwards of DeLand told the BBC.

As of Sunday afternoon, some 54,000 people had marked themselves as "interested" in the event.

 

"The response is a complete and total surprise to me," he said.

"I never envisioned this event becoming some kind of crazy idea larger than myself. It has become something a little out of my control."

Graphics suggesting how to shoot at a hurricane have sprung up online, with the suggestion that if you fire correctly the bullet might not come back and kill you.

Since Mr Edwards came up with his "masterplan", other similar Facebook pages have been created  - including one suggesting using flame throwers to scare away the storm.

"It's time we took a stand against this bully!" reads the event description. "This is our home, nobody drives us out of our own territory.

"Join me in this fight as we shoot flames at Hurricane Irma and dissipate her on the spot."