Living with hurricanes.

[floridapete]

I have just received the following e-mail from "Emigrate America" who want to do a feature on Brits who have emigrated to Florida (or are currently thinking of doing so) with regards to what part of their decision to move to Florida took into account the prospect of living with hurricane threats on an annual basis ? Or didn't it play any part at all ?

" Hi Peter,

My colleague, Ben Lewis, passed your details on to me as I thought you might be able to help me out with an article I am currently writing on Florida. Basically, it is a look at how it feels to live in a hurricane-prone area. I’m trying to find out whether migrants thought about it before they moved, how it affects their lives and what Hurricane Katrina meant for them.

If you have the time, would you be interested in answering some of these questions? Or possibly putting it to other migrants on your forum? I look forward to hearing from you, many thanks,

Patricia

Patricia Curmi

"Emigrate America"

Outbound Publishing

Tel: 01323 726040

E-mail: Patricia.curmi@outboundmedia.co.uk

.....................

Anyone with any views, particularly those people who lived through Francis, Charley etc. (as Katrina did not really effect Central Florida at all) should make contact direct with Patricia as above.

[Kriz1]

Us poor folks up in New England who have storms most of the year forgotten again..:( :(

[JulieC]

Never really thought about them as very few were supposed to come over Orlando, and rhen three in a row did, first time for so many years. I never really felt in danger, even though we had a tree fall on our front porch, they were just an annoyance.

[Kriz1]

I'd be much happier riding out a storm in FL than here....I know my home in MA has done many a storm...and a lot of the homes around me are very old....but unlike FL we get very little time up here before the hurricane hits us...not enough time to get everyone over the bridges thats for sure....I know I've felt in danger in many a NorEaster....I thought we would end up in the land of Oz one afternoon last Oct...you never get used to the wind and the damage it does...you'd think you would because we have wind storms for months on end that last days at a time....but I'm always aware of the danger...
I've yet to do a storm in FL...looking at the wind speeds in a hurricane in Orlando they are well under the speeds I'm used to most of the Fall...so I'm looking forward to only having a few bad days a year and not months once we move to FL....

[patricia.curmi]

Hi Julie C, thanks for replying, and a big thanks to Kriz1 as well. May I ask what the C stands for so I can quote you in the paper?

[JulieC]

I have pm-ed you, Pat. I actually thought Charley was quite exciting. It was my first hurricane as resident here and when everyone else was hiding I did the stupid thing and stood out in my Florida room watching. It was really quite exciting and I never realised the danger. The eye cam right over, we also saw a tornado whip round the side of our garage and took the tops off two trees in the conservation at the rear. We thought we had got off lightly, Celebration has underground cables and never lost power, until we opened the front door and saw a street tree on my front porch, fortunately it had fallen up the steps so didnt do much damage. They have only just replaced it! Frances and Jeanne and Wilma last year were just wet and windy and by that time it was just an annoyance as it stopped you going out and getting on with what you wanted to do. Hurricanes wouldnt stop me moving here, mind you I dont live on the coast!!

[Kriz1]

It a different story on the coast Julie...my only worry for my Orlando home is a twister...
the biggest problem living by the sea is the cost of Ins..that is if you can get any in the first place..I know I'd never buy by water in the US..not even a drainage pond..
I would be straight off the Cape.. if I had time that is.. to get away from a hurricane..the damage I saw all along the coast of FL year before last.. the damage I see after every windstorm gives me a lot of repect for the weather..I never take it lightly..