Dont like hurricanes? Move! (from ATSNN)

I don't see what is wrong with people in Flordia. They constantly get hit by hurricanes, they know they are going to get him by hurricanes, and by the looks of it, they dont care that they are going to continue to get hit by hurricanes. Personally, after the first hurricane I would get out of there as fast as I could, without even glaring back. What makes these people any different?


With headlines in the papers and on the television recently that include:

"Hurricane Frances batters Florida"

"Hurricane tears through Florida"

and" Flordia gets hit, again"

I know some of you are asking the exact thing I am. Why do these people continue to rebuild their homes, only to have them knocked to the ground again. Why do these people do it? Do they really love Flordia that much, that every Summer they will have to rebuild their lives?

I am sure people stay in Flordia because that is where they were born and raised. Is staying in your hometown really worth risking your live over? The danger is there, you wouldn't stand infont of a loaded gun would you?

Others are going to say "Easier said than done." Explain me the logic in that. Sell your house, move to somewhere safe, away from where hurricanes hit. Tell me how that is harder then rebuilding your house, setting up your kids funeral (whose body was never found) and starting you life over again. I just dont see the logic, maybe I am the only one.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles (110 kilometers) and tropical storm force winds extend up to 200 miles (321 kilometers) from Frances' center.

The state issued evacuation orders in parts of 41 counties, covering 2.8 million residents -- the largest evacuations in Florida's history.

More than 87,000 people were in 349 shelters open Sunday.

238,000 residences and businesses were without power by 11 a.m. ET Sunday.



My prayers are with all the people of Flordia, best of luck.

Related News Links:
edition.cnn.com
news.bbc.co.uk
www.reuters.com
www.msnbc.msn.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
ALERT! Hurricane Frances Makes Landfall!

Tell me where exactly is SAFE????

if it isn't hurricanes, its noreasters, blizzards, tornadoes or earthquakes. Where exactly do you propose that millions of people relocate to????

If homes are constructed properly and people take the necessary actions, and our utilities upgraded themselves. I am pretty sure the devastation wouldn't be as bad. The most damage you see is to poorly constructed buildings and mobile homes.

Personally I think there should be a ban against mobile home parks in Florida..since they are always the first to be evacuated and the first to sustain major damage.

I would consider safe to be somewhere that you know isn't going to get hit multipul times a year.

Somewhere you know isn't going to be burried under a couple feet of water.

Not everybody has the financial resources to uproot and move across the country at will. I'm sure many people would like to live somewhere other than where they do, but aren't able to leave because they cannot find a job elsewhere, or would not be able to afford a new home.

Another question I have:

How much does the average house insurance cost down there?

When you move you pick your poison. But how many people in Florida are rebuilding for the 2nd time? Some may be doing cleanup but thats not a big deal. I used to live there and I hated picking up palm branches after every wind storm. But to me that wasn't as bad as the spiders

But I say that about people in Texas who are rebuilding for the 2nd time after getting their house demolished by a tornado. People may say that about northerners every time they have to scrape the frost from their windows, shovel the sidewalk and have to drive to work on ice covered roads. Or what about people in California who have to deal with quakes. Every place has something. Heat, cold, rain, snow, tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.

off the top of my head, I believe it is between $800 and $1200 per year for the average house. Flood Insurance is separate and is usually between $200 and $400.

Funny, I've often wondered the same thing.

I dont think there's anywhere that is 100% safe but there are certainly places that significantly decrease your chances of natural disasters. I myself have lived in New Jersey for the past 30 years and have never once been evacuated from my residence whereas it is commonplace for an evacuation a summer down in Florida, if not two like this summer. We've had some 30" snowstorms and some wicked nor'easters but nothing like they get down there.

Kansas has it's tornadoes and California it's earthquakes but it seems Florida gets the bulk of the nasty stuff. I'll never forget the images that Andrew left down there, it took years to recover and rebuild.

I'm sure they have their reasons to stay but after back-to-back hurricanes like Charley and Frances now, you'd think one would reconsider and weigh things out. Frances is moving slow like a slug through the panhandle and wreaking havoc as I type this, the people of Florida are in my prayers.

Be safe!!!

Hurricane Andrew:



What attracts people to live in these places? Besides the Flordia weather, minus hurricanes.

Well, I've lived in the bay area here (Tampa Bay) off and on for most of my life. All we've ever gotten is a little wind, a little rain, and excitement, but certainly nothing to make me consider leaving my family, friends, and job...

Gazrok:

If a hurricane did hit you, would you not consider moving?

I think it would be better than risking your life.

I know this may be a stupid question, but why are so many houses in the states made from flimsy wood rather than bricks or blocks?

I can't help thinking of the three little pigs every time I see the aftermath of one of these storms..

Originally posted by muppet
I know this may be a stupid question, but why are so many houses in the states made from flimsy wood rather than bricks or blocks?

I can't help thinking of the three little pigs every time I see the aftermath of one of these storms..

That's my question.

The building coeds in Florida and the Carolinas need to be improved.

The building codes should be strict enough to ensure that the homes can withstand a hurricane.

That means no mobile homes, sctricter standards for pre-fab homes and perhaps even require concrete block homes like they do in the Bahamas.

As far as people moving out of Florida, there are few places they can go where it is safe.

The Carolinas get hurricanes too.
The MidWest states get floods and tornados.
Hawaii gets volcanos.
California gets earthquakes and forest fires.
There are blizzards, heatwaves, droughts and other weather problems that have to be dealt with in other States.

The only places that are safe are those that prepare in advance for these problems.
Right now, I'd say Florida isn't that well prepared in terms of the structure of their homes but that can be dealt with.


[edit on 5-9-2004 by AceOfBase]

I always thought the lack of brick homes in Florida was amazing.

Originally posted by MacKiller
Another question I have:

How much does the average house insurance cost down there?

Don't worry. You and I subsidize it. Just like we subsidize all bad ideas with insurance of any kind.

My favorite was a guy in Texas (I think that was the state). His family was saved in a shelter he had built in the floor of his home after it was destroyed the last time. And he plans on rebuilding again. How messed up is that? And he'll probably get homeowners insurance again.

Well a lot of people move down to florida to retire, and they don't have the financial backing to just up and move away. It is cheaper to live down there than say up here in new england, that's why a lot of people go down there to retire.
It would be funny if everyone had that mentality, if a twister, hurricane, a snow storm that knocks out power for 8 days (happened to me), heat waves that kill people happened then everyone would move away from there. We might as well all live in mobile homes and when an upcoming disaster is coming just drive away from it

They have to move to Florida. Could you imagine some 80 year old, 80 lb old man out in 10 degree weather trying to shovel a foot deep snow?

Well Toronto is pretty stable. Our winters are getter shorter(but colder..). Our summers are getting slightly shorter and cooler while Spring and Fall seems to be getting longer. We have no fault lines nearby, don't really get that many twisters in Ontario(and none that I have ever heard of in Downtown Toronto, usually outskirts is where they touch down doing some minor damage) Havn't had a hurricane in a long time(last one was hazel i believe). So the only thing you really have to deal with is the cold as we don't get much snow anymore

Yeah,

What about Toronto's recent heat wave