Hurricane Dennis & the depopulation of Florida...

[Boomer]

USA Today

Just read this USA Today article focused on Floridians who are still recovering from last year and are now facing Dennis. Makes me wonder how long it will take to reverse the trend for increasing population along the Florida coasts:

>> Hurricane Dennis, now with winds clocking almost 130 mph, is bearing down on one of the fastest-growing regions in the country. The coastal zone where Dennis could land contains almost 9.5 million people, the Census Bureau says. That area, with 67 coastal counties, reaches from New Orleans to South Florida. The counties' population density is more than twice that of the nation at large. The counties have grown 6.7% since the 2000 Census, and 3.5 times as many people live there now as in 1950.

The Browns and many others in Florida's Panhandle are on the verge of moving back into homes damaged by Ivan after months in cramped trailers provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Nicol Andrews, a FEMA spokeswoman, says 3,240 families are living in FEMA trailers and other housing in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, the two western Panhandle counties that absorbed most of Ivan's destruction. Statewide, about 9,200 families are still in temporary housing more than nine months after Ivan and three other major hurricanes walloped Florida. <<

[Renew Deal]

1. Why would anyone live in Florida?

Who wants to deal with the threat of your stuff getting destroyed every year? Too much stress for nothing.

[BushFungus]

2. i Love Florida

I have always loved Florida - the tropical climate, the warm sunny weather, the palm trees and pine trees...it's too bad it has gotten socked so much the last couple of years.

And the oranges! My God, the oranges!!

Not sure if I'd want to live there now. I think if I did I'd choose to live in Orlando.

[cynatnite]

4. The oranges rock!

My in-laws brought us some back a couple of years ago and they were utterly fantastic. The size of grapefruit, moist and delicious! MMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!

I'd visit for the oranges :)

[dbonds]

16. I moved from Orlando a year ago.

It was the worst place I ever lived. I lived in Tampa for years before so I have another FL city to compare it to. O-town was nothing but a sweat bath. The economy sucks. It is built on swamp and the land always smelled like it. You can not really do anything in nature because of swamp mud, bugs, and plants that will rip you apart. Everyone there was also the most disrespectful people I have ever ran into. I never have seen a city where everyone I tried to befriend was cheating on their spouse.

[acmejack]

3. Plus having to endure Jeb and his team of nitwits!

He is doing for florida what big bro did for Texas!

[TayTay]

5. As long as the taxpayer isn't footing the bill

for re-building and re-building areas that are washed out by storms, then people should feel fine about living in Florida. It's just that the rest of the 49 States shouldn't be taxed to pay for re-building homes in the consistent path of hurricanes.

[jojo54]

7. Did you hear about FEMA?

They're requesting pay back for overpayments to people. Somebody in their organization screwed up, so of course the taxpayers have to dig deep..........again!

[Boomer]

8. And then there are the insurance premiums

To absorb the cost of damage to properties along the coast, premiums go up across the board.

Eventually, and not too far in the future I would guess, it won't be possible to get affordable hurricane insurance in some areas. Which means only the very poor and the very rich will live there.

Last year is probably a good example of the new "normal" for coastal areas. They will be pounded every season with tropical storms and at least a few Cat 3-5 hurricanes.

And it routinely takes more than a year to repair the damages from a hurricane like Ivan, homeowners will not be able to rebuild regardless of the cost they can bear. Coastal properties will be abandoned.

[amazona]

9. where is this magic place where homes are never destroyed?

The place where fire and earthquake never happens without warning, the place where storm and flood never sinisterly and boldly spend five days creeping up you and you can't do a thing to stop them. If you're on the coast, you got tropical storms, if you're in the hills, you got mudslides. If you're anywhere lightning strikes or a druggie has a crack pipe or a kid has matches, you have fires.

An entire neighborhood of million dollar homes was burned down in San Diego in October 2003.

I haven't heard any calls for people to stop moving to California over it.

[Boomer]

12. You're missing the point

The point is not destruction, which as you pointed out can happen anywhere. The point is REPEATED destruction.

California is hit by earthquakes and mud-slides and fires, but usually a hard-hit region has time to rebuild and doesn't face the same danger for another decade or longer.

Same for many midwest communities destroyed by tornadoes. It's a once-in-a-lifetime event, or even once every 50 years. People put it all back together again and get on with their lives.

But people in Florida and other Gulf coastal communities have built up property in an area that is going to experience disaster EVERY YEAR, and probably several times a year. If you haven't finished repairing the damage from Ivan, and along comes Dennis and damages your house again, and you try to rebuild and next year Hurricane Bubba blow you over again.... At some point, you just have to admit you're beat and move somewhere you have a fighting chance of inhabiting.

[amazona]

13. I'm not missing the point, as I've lived in Louisiana over 30 yrs

It is not true that the storms hit in the same spot repeatedly, time after time, year after year.

Even if they did, it is not true that it takes "more than a year" to rebuild a home that will just be knocked down again the next year. My house took 2 months to re-build. Hell, a brand new house from scratch can be framed and erected in less than 4.

The problem is not that it takes so long to build or re-build. The problem is availability of contractors and construction crews.

*If* this is the new normal, it will create new jobs and new, larger teams of construction workers will be hired on the Gulf Coast to meet the challenge. There are lots of people who need jobs and they will flock into this field if the jobs are there.

By the way, just so you will know, fire season is a regular and predictable ANNUAL (that means every year) event that occurs in Southern California. It is not just tropical storms that have their seasons. Up North they have their blizzards and old people freeze to death or get carbon monoxide poisoning in their garages. Winter is generally assumed to be an annual event, although these days I'll grant that your mileage may vary.

You can look on the bad side of everywhere but it's pointless. The population is not going to abandon Florida or New Jersey or California or any other over-built coastal region. The person who waits to buy on the Florida coast in hopes of getting a steal could be very disappointed. The increase in price could forever be greater than the increase in that person's salary. I know people in those areas it has happened to.

[thinkingwoman]

14. dont' forget tornadoes

They strike most of the inland states.

[LSK]

10. 3 days notice isnt enough to move the RV???

If I lived there, it would definately have to be in a RV and then I could just leave when they give that HUGE ADVANCE WARNING.

[amazona]

15. well many people do that

Be sure you are actually willing to evacuate in plenty of time on each occasion if this is your choice, because RVs are not good if you actually try to "shelter in place" during big storms. Sometimes people get annoyed and don't want to evacuate if they think there is a chance the storm will turn. Evacuating costs money in gas and other expenses, and also represents a loss in earnings from your job if you are paid by the hour. Plus the time involved.

In some places, people just shouldn't live there unless they have the patience to comply with evacuation orders and suggestions.

[jojo54]

6. Gawd, my hub wants to move down there!!

HHHEEEEELLLLPPPPPPP!!!!!!!

We were down there last year for hurricane Jeanne and it was not fun at all, being on a barrier island off the coast of Ft Pierce. Besides, it's too hot and I love the change of the seasons. What can I say, I'm a nature girl.

[Boomer]

11. The good news...

The good news is that you'll soon have your pick of cheap properties.

The bad news is that assembly and batteries are not included.