The storm surge warning clip circulates online as a short soundboard effect rather than as part of a longer broadcast recording, and its exact origin is unclear. Its appeal comes from the familiar language of official weather alerts in the United States, where storm surge warnings are issued for life-threatening coastal flooding during hurricanes and tropical storms. Creators reuse the sound to borrow that authority for memes, gaming clips and edited weather footage, where a few seconds of warning instantly raise the stakes.