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Hurricane season has arrived....

Yep, and our only trauma center hospital is on an island at sea level. They have to construct a wall to keep it from flooding in a hurricane. It is the epitome of backwardness. The civilized world looks at us and wonders how we can be so monumentally dumb.
On an “island” that was dredged up out of the water of Tampa Bay paid for by I believe Henry Plant?
It should be moved IYAM.
 
I know that is true, but it does not mean that local governments should grant to the developer whatever they wish in terms of houses per acre, or large scale development in what long-term folks know is marsh/lowlands. I live in ground zero for the explosive growth...my home county has been one of the fastest-growing in the nation over the last 5 to 10 years. I've watched as developers have thrown up houses in areas that have been swampland my entire life, pushing dirt around to try to build up. They're all flooded now, and in addition many families who have lived on surrounding property for multiple generations are also now flooded due to the forced change in water flow.
And yet, many of our local, county, and statewide elected officials continue to be overjoyed at the excessive growth, and remain willing to approve more as long as the campaign contributions continue to flow.
My wife and I were talking about this the other day. One of her co-workers bought a plot of land down where Milton hit. She and her husband wanted to build their retirement home eventually. They put up a camera on a post to keep their eyes on it, and to look wistfully at, I suppose. Twice they’ve watched it be under water.
Who sold them the land and who thought it would be wise to build homes there? Oh well, that’s someone else’s problem according to the builders, developers, and politicians they own. It’s the same in fire prone areas and the desert where developers pile in subdivisions while the water dwindles away.
 
My wife and I were talking about this the other day. One of her co-workers bought a plot of land down where Milton hit. She and her husband wanted to build their retirement home eventually. They put up a camera on a post to keep their eyes on it, and to look wistfully at, I suppose. Twice they’ve watched it be under water.
Who sold them the land and who thought it would be wise to build homes there? Oh well, that’s someone else’s problem according to the builders, developers, and politicians they own. It’s the same in fire prone areas and the desert where developers pile in subdivisions while the water dwindles away.

So now they know how high the water rises and they can build their dream home on stilts.
 
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You mean the houses that have been there for decades? I missed the procedure that allowed that to happen?
Ahhh...sorry...didn't realize there was a moratorium on building under the current power structure. Trad assures me they're still building hand-over-fist even in the face of what we all know is coming. And I'm not defending the Dems who allowed the draining of the Everglades to build and paved over wetlands but EVERYBODY down there was riding that bus. Hell, I doubt the Dems down there would have the courage to do anything, either, were they to get control again but they couldn't be worse.

Regardless of Trad's beach still being in the same place it's always been, the day is coming when lots of coastal properties down there will be uninsurable at any price. Somebody better confront that reality.
 
Ahhh...sorry...didn't realize there was a moratorium on building under the current power structure. Trad assures me they're still building hand-over-fist even in the face of what we all know is coming. And I'm not defending the Dems who allowed the draining of the Everglades to build and paved over wetlands but EVERYBODY down there was riding that bus. Hell, I doubt the Dems down there would have the courage to do anything, either, were they to get control again but they couldn't be worse.

Regardless of Trad's beach still being in the same place it's always been, the day is coming when lots of coastal properties down there will be uninsurable at any price. Somebody better confront that reality.

Blah, blah, blah.
 
That's about 8 miles from my house, I've played the golf course hundreds of times and my old business partner used to live in the development.
It did flood back in the extreme El Nino year in 1998, but not as bad as this. Much of the surrounding area, which was pretty low and was formerly wilderness and/or cow pasture, has been developed and is now rooftops and pavement.
Perhaps it's time for Florida to tap the brakes on overdevelopment.
It seems the cow left the barn quite a while back.
 
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My wife and I were talking about this the other day. One of her co-workers bought a plot of land down where Milton hit. She and her husband wanted to build their retirement home eventually. They put up a camera on a post to keep their eyes on it, and to look wistfully at, I suppose. Twice they’ve watched it be under water.
Who sold them the land and who thought it would be wise to build homes there? Oh well, that’s someone else’s problem according to the builders, developers, and politicians they own. It’s the same in fire prone areas and the desert where developers pile in subdivisions while the water dwindles away.
They might want to make a different choice.
 
Ahhh...sorry...didn't realize there was a moratorium on building under the current power structure. Trad assures me they're still building hand-over-fist even in the face of what we all know is coming. And I'm not defending the Dems who allowed the draining of the Everglades to build and paved over wetlands but EVERYBODY down there was riding that bus. Hell, I doubt the Dems down there would have the courage to do anything, either, were they to get control again but they couldn't be worse.

Regardless of Trad's beach still being in the same place it's always been, the day is coming when lots of coastal properties down there will be uninsurable at any price. Somebody better confront that reality.
Hey guess what - I agree with you.
Florida used to be underwater. It may be headed that way again - eventually.
 
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Florida has the highest homeowner insurance rates in the country. After Helene and Milton, where do you think they're going?
We do have high rates but there are other states with high premiums IF you can even get coverage.
California homeowners have faced outright non-renewals and have struggled to get a policy at even very high rates.
 
We do have high rates but there are other states with high premiums IF you can even get coverage.
California homeowners have faced outright non-renewals and have struggled to get a policy at even very high rates.
That’s where FL is headed.
 


Monday morning finds the tropical low pressure system (in my humble opinion TD #15) continuing to move west about 15 mph. The circulation is clearly defined with convection sputtering near the center. While a few days from strengthening due to the hostile environment, it appears to meet the definition of a tropical cyclone.

Going forward, there is some indication it could potentially impact the northeast Caribbean as a tropical storm around 4 to 5 days. There are about equal chances (50/50) it will turn out to sea or reach the islands. Beyond that, the uncertainty opens up, indicating if it stays south of the islands, it will likely continue westward, or if it goes north of the islands, it will continue turning northward. In other words, we won't know where it could be going until we see where it is when it reaches the islands in about 4 or 5 days. Stay tuned.
 
Pasco County


'Higher than we've seen in 6 decades': Why is the Withlacoochee River still rising


Most of that was filmed a few miles from my house. I own a lot on the river in the neighborhood, the A-frame house just past the 1 minute mark is 2 lots down from mine & he's a good friend. His place is obviously trashed; I'm lucky, I just have a vacant piece of property that I use as a kayak launch point to access nature.

When I was out there Saturday, the electric company had launched a jonboat from the middle of the road to get around & inspect damage.
 
The always entertaining real estate investor Ben Mallah surveying the damage at his various Pinellas County beach properties

This is post-Helene flooding footage of several hotels and John’s Pass Marina near Treasure Island and then the days just before Milton.


Investing in coastal properties

 
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The always entertaining real estate investor Ben Mallah surveying the damage at his various Pinellas County beach properties

This is post-Helene flooding footage of several hotels and John’s Pass Marina near Treasure Island and then the days just before Milton.


Investing in coastal properties

Maybe moving companies can hire him as an influencer for all the recent arrivals who are moving north.
Tampa market is full of homes for sale and Realtors are reporting half of them have had at least one price reduction. Retirees are reconsidering their move.
 
500 people evacuated

Clearwater Mayor and Police give update on large-scale apartment rescue




Hundreds rescued from flooded apartment complex

 
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