Tag Archives: Hurricane Irma
Why are Florida Hurricanes becoming more deadly?
Editors note: At the time of publishing the AP reported a Florida death toll from Michael of 16. Our own TFS count is 19 based on local sources, but either way the number is certain to rise as rescue efforts continue. Michael could go down as the deadliest or second deadliest Florida Hurricane since 1935, a […]
The politics of Michael – how past hurricanes impacted Florida’s elections
Hurricane Michael was a historic storm but just the latest to potentially impact Florida close to an election.
Irma a year later: Assessing the rubble of Florida’s disaster and preventing failure again
A year ago, the entirety of peninsular Florida was impacted by a storm named Irma. Powerful as it had been when it impacted the Leeward Islands and other parts of the Caribbean, a slight wobble which took into northern Cuba significantly took away its bite as it approached Florida. Peninsular Florida also had the added […]
Florida’s continued infrastructure woes stretched after Irma
Last night as a gusty tropical disturbance pounded southeastern Florida, my power went out again for the fourth time since being restored five days after Irma sideswiped Broward County with sustained Tropical Storm force winds and Category 1 Hurricane-force gusts. Down the road about 10 miles in Fort Lauderdale, a colleague of mine returned home […]
Hurricane Irma: Florida’s Overdevelopment Has Created a Ticking Time Bomb
Scientific America has an outstanding piece that came out right after Hurricane Irma on Florida’s man-made vulnerability. At the risk of sounding repetitive, this article in one of the leading journals this nation has states uniquely the danger that we’ve discussed over and over since the storm on this website and hopefully will sound an […]
Hurricane Irma death toll in Florida continues to rise. – Irma now (unofficially) the deadliest modern Florida hurricane
Hurricane Irma according to the official records from the State of Florida has now been responsible for 50 deaths in the state. When you add to this total the 14 deaths in Monroe County not part of the state total or the 11 indirect deaths in Broward due to the nursing home that lost air […]
Post- Irma checklist for Florida’s leaders
Florida’s political class with a few exceptions seems determined to put Irma in the rear-view mirror. Can you blame them? A natural disaster whose greatest impacts were largely due to man-made factors for much of the state, the storm now has led directly or indirectly to over 60 deaths in the state – an unacceptable […]
Have Hermine and Irma demonstrated the need for new evacuation routes? Heartland Parkway and other roads worth reconsidering?
The idea of expressway and parkway building in far flung locations has become passe in Florida. Much like the revolts against urban expressways in the 1970’s, recent moves to build what appeared to be roads to nowhere have met stern opposition including on the pages of this website. But is it time for a rethink? […]
Irma proved a disaster for Florida’s heartland – what next?
Often forgotten in any discussion of our state is the inland areas, particularly in the southern part of the peninsula. “The Heartland” as it is dubbed took a beating from Irma, as it has previously from Hurricane Charley which hit in particular Arcadia with a vicious fury. Irma’s damage in the Heartland wasn’t as complete […]
A return to normalcy is the last thing Florida needs – Irma a largely man-made disaster for our state
“Things will return to normal next week,” goes the refrain. Most citizens of Florida long for a return to the normalcy we enjoyed before Labor Day Weekend, 2017 when it became clear Irma might impact our state. That normalcy being sold by the politicians among other is exactly what they want because then once again […]
The Florida Squeeze 