TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Thousands of Publix shoppers have signed a petition to bring back a former staple of the store’s bakery section during past hurricane seasons.

The Change.org petition, initiated two weeks ago (and before Erin had strengthened into a hurricane), is calling on Publix to resume the sale of hurricane cakes. The treats, also known as “hurricakes,” had long been offered in the bakery section of the supermarkets before Publix put an end to the practice in 2023.

The cakes often had designs on top, mimicking the look of a hurricane on a storm radar tracker. Some included messages written out in frosting (and directed at the incoming hurricane itself), like “Go Away” or “Leave Florida alone.”

“For reasons unknown, Publix stopped making them. And frankly, we don’t care why — we just know they made hurricane prep a little brighter,” reads a message included with the petition. “They were a sweet reminder that even when the wind howls and the rain pours, folks across the Southeast keep their sense of humor.”

The petition had over 33,000 signatures as of Thursday morning.

Contrary to what the petition’s organizers had written, it’s not “unknown” why Publix discontinued the cakes: Publix stopped selling them in 2023 after Hurricane Ian and Nicole caused numerous deaths.

In a statement to WFLA.com in 2023, Publix said that while they enjoy “finding ways to delight [customers] with their favorite Publix items as they prepare for uncertainty,” the cakes would not be made due to concerns over making light of natural disasters.

A representative for Publix did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the petition.

The hurricane cakes, meanwhile, have seen somewhat of a groundswell of support on social media after their discontinuation. In a recent Reddit forum, dozens of users also upvoted a commenter who suggested Publix bring back the cakes and donate the proceeds to hurricane relief.

“That way they’re letting people have their fun while acknowledging the seriousness of the situation and the aftermath,” the Reddit user wrote.

Another just figured that weathering a hurricane would be more pleasant with cake.

“The way I see it … the hurricanes are gonna happen regardless … so you can either have a hurricane with cake, or have a hurricane and no cake,” the user wrote.