Comments on: Hurricane Risk: Not Just Florida

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 12 May 2006 03:31:55 +0000

Jonathan brings up a very important point that is often overlooked: we expect nature to change its ways in order to accomodate our ways. Having lived on Long Island in the 60′s when a “mild” hurricane passed over and knocked over huge maple trees, oaks and severe flooding. Forty years later I’m living in SoFla through Andrew, Francis, Jeanne, and Wilma. Now the fires to the north which happens yearly. This is what Florida was all about for many years before the likes of me and others decided to invade a beautiful but vunerable eco system. But we want the weather to change to meet our illusory desires. Barrier islands are rife with high rises that will tumble into the intercoastal or the Atlantic when push comes to shove. And we should be surprised?

By: Al from Chgo

Al from Chgo — Wed, 10 May 2006 03:47:34 +0000

OOPS, better hold off on the hurricane scare, it was replaced tonight on one of the major network local newscast at 10:00pm. Wildfire threat to South Florida because storms are passing to the North…Wild fires burning now tape at 10…

What was the quote exactly “Long in tooth and claw”???

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Tue, 09 May 2006 14:52:26 +0000

Who’s belittling. I am merely pointing out (with, I had thought, some humor) what is going on and using it as a starting point for a new discussion.

As for “many many warnings about environmental destruction,” well, yes, there have been many such warnings. The problem is that almost all of them have proved false, and in cases where there was some reasonable concern the proposed cure (e.g., Kyoto Treaty) would have been worse than the disease. To the extent that Bush has ignored such warnings I say, good for him. It’s not his job to be our chief weather forecaster and urban planner. The real issue isn’t man-made “environmental destruction” in the brief period that Bush has been in office, it’s decades of population growth along the US East Coast. Partisan blaming is simply irrelevant.

By: nate zuckerman

nate zuckerman — Tue, 09 May 2006 13:29:04 +0000

Since jurnalists are writing stuff merely to increase circulation, why not stop reading what they sayh instead of reading and then belittling? And, in passing, how come the Boyz have so little to say about the many many warnings about environmental destruction that was ignored by your main man, George W. Bush?

By: aaron

aaron — Tue, 09 May 2006 04:14:07 +0000

In those really high risk areas, people should simply buy only what they can afford to rebuild.

By: GUYK

GUYK — Mon, 08 May 2006 18:39:25 +0000

Hurricanes are a fact of life in Florida and we that live along the coast–or at least we that have been here long enough to know–know the risk that we run by living here.

When I first decided that Florida was for me-way back in 1962- the central west coast beaches had a lot of small homes and cabins and the tourists stayed in Mom and Pop type motels. A hurricane would do a lot of damage but not the billions worth that even a strong cat one can do now. It is the massive influx of population and the high priced developments along the coast that are the problem–not global warming nor the hurricanes. Simply put-if you can’t stand the heat get out of the damn fire. I just can’t generate any sympathy for someone who builds a million dollar home on a barrier Island then cries because they can’t afford the insurance.

My home is modest by a lot of standards even though I could easily afford more. But I don’t want the high insurance nor the high taxes just for the luxery of living where the fishing is good and the weather is usually pleasant.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 08 May 2006 16:05:43 +0000

I have the impression that I’ve read something about insurance copanies (intentional sic to bypass comment submission error) dumping Florida homeowner policies lately. Even the state insurance agency of last resort was reportedly having some issues.