Do good times outweigh hurricane possibilities?

[brother chris]

Since we here on the west coast of Canada never experience hurricanes, I was wondering about people who live in Florida. <br />Knowing that there is a possible hurricane season every year in Florida, does that outweigh the great times and wonderful house you own there? <br />Just like Kansas...don't they get evil tornadoes?(hurrican alley). What is it that keep people there admist all the possible chaos that could happen every year? <br />My mother is retiring at the end of this year and moving from Windsor, Ontario(across from Detroit) to St.Petersberg Florida. <br />There must be something spectacular at each place to keep people there. <br />All we get here for 7 months is rain. I can handle that, but not hurricanes and such.<br />I feel for the people who have had to go through what they did....I was just wondering.

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: Do good times outweigh hurricane possibilities?

to answer your question..." you obviously have never been to florida, have you !?! "<br /><br />

Do good times outweigh hurricane possibilities?

by far!!!

 

[brother chris]

Re: Do good times outweigh hurricane possibilities?

yes I have been to Florida, and I like it, but I'll take the rain for 7 Alex. <br /><br /><br />Maybe I should live there for a while then ask myself the same question.

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: Do good times outweigh hurricane possibilities?

been here 30 years.... and im only 30 years old !!! lived in pennsylvania for a spell, but im back here again.<br /><br />lived on the beach, lived in a duplex, lived in a van, lived on a houseboat, now i live with my mother in law<br /><br />wouldnt trade it for the world

 

[brother chris]

Re: Do good times outweigh hurricane possibilities?

Originally posted by phatmanmike:<br /> now i live with my mother in law<br /><br />wouldnt trade it for the world

 

[12Footer]

Re: Do good times outweigh hurricane possibilities?

If you ever find out what the manetism is, let me know. It's a wierd thing. Florida's population nearly doubles in Winter, but come March/April, the second homes down here are vacated so they can move back north.<br />I moved enough to know that I'd never get past the MOVING part!<br />I was born/rasied in Miami, and MOVED to the northwest in '68...About 145Miles northwest...I've been here ever since.<br />The winters is why they come. It's nice outside (people do not go outside in the suummer down here). Many of these snowbirds (that's what we call them) do not know what a Florida mosquito looks like. They are gone by the first rains.<br />The residents that DO remain, iether stay inside thier homes, or must werk on the empty homes, cutting grass, painting, killin mosquitoes, or fixing the miserable roads.<br />Do not believe what your niegbor told you about Florida. They only saw the "nice" months.<br />But the nice months are like living in NYC with all it's traffic and crowded resturaunts, so even then, it's not so great.<br />Why am I still here? Where would I go? Can't afford to retire. I'm allergic to ice. I don't know how to drive when the roads don't have any cars on them to Dodge or Ram1500 of them-- which explains why I drive them. Don't believe what the label says---the dang thing can only Ram about two before it stops going, and you gotta get a new one.

 

[Navigator]

Re: Do good times outweigh hurricane possibilities?

Its not that bad 5 months out of the year, from about November to March. This is the "bearable" season. April thru October is the "miserable" season. Everyone who lives out of state sees florida as this land of pretty beaches and everyone is out on the water having fun. This is such a bunch of propoganda. 99% of the people in Florida do not live on or near the water. (unless you can afford to plunk down 350-400k for a 45 year old 2/2/1 car garage on a salt water canal) Most are inland a bit where the breezes dont usually blow and its hot, humid and stagnant. Unlike other states, our landscape is pretty much flat without any real character.<br />You have the run the A/C at night and when you wake up, the outside of your house windows are covered in water from condensation.<br /> But, people keep moving here. Traffic and congestion are the norm. Tempers flair and "road rage" is a very real and serious problem. Local officials not not care a thing about preserving the natural look of the state and they are quick to change zoning to accomodate developers and their "zero lot line" tract home subdivisions. All in all, florida is slowly going away.<br /> I was born and raised here and I've seen it all. Unfortunately, its not likely to change in the near or distant future. Why am I still here? My wife cant tolerate the cold. If I could find a better place thats not desert, I'd move there in a heartbeat. Overall, FLorida is a great place to visit for a week or two, but living here is another thing.<br /> Brother Chris, your mother is moving to St Pete? That area is pretty sedate. South St Pete is pretty rough. alot of voilence and crime, but a bit north St Pete is nice. (but very pricey) Traffic is pretty thick there too because a lot of the drivers are retiree's and they are never in a rush to get anywhere. A large percent choose to drive well under the speed limit, causing immense traffic jams during rush hour. If you mom is one of these type, then she'll blend right in!<br /><br />I'm not a big fan of hurricanes, what can you do?<br />At least we can get a few days warning, unlike those folks in Kansas who at best might get 15 minutes.<br /><br />Nav

 

[KaGee]

Re: Do good times outweigh hurricane possibilities?

No matter where you live... THERE IS ALWAYS GRASS TO MOW!!!

 

[KaGee]

Re: Do good times outweigh hurricane possibilities?

Originally posted by phatmanmike:<br /> ...lived in a van,

Down by the river?? <br />

 

[SoulWinner]

Re: Do good times outweigh hurricane possibilities?

California has earth quakes, mud slides and wild fires. Tornado alley is home to the biggest tornados on the planet. Canada has bitter winters and the warmer months are filled more biting insects than FLorida or Luisiana. It is all relative. I have been through the tornados in Kansas and hurricanes in florida, and the former really suck. Hurricanes on the other hand give weeks of advanced notice that they are there and heading in your general direction. They aren't as destructive as most people think (Andrew not withsatnding) and are just a fact of life. When a hurricane hits, (I've been through two that hit here, and several that were close enought to bring down trees and power lines) you just go buy all the ice you can stuff in your fridge, and pick up stuff in the yard that can get blown around, and go to bed. When it's over, you wait for power to be restored. No big.

 

[Jack Shellac]

Re: Do good times outweigh hurricane possibilities?

I've lived here on the Gulf Coast all my life, except for time in the service and assignments out of town at work. We're now on our fourth wharf due to hurricanes [wharfs are not insurable, BTW]. Luckily our old house has held up through all of them. Was it worth it? Yes, no doubt about it. You can't beat waking up on the water and being able to walk out your front door to your boat. You've got to have a realistic attitude about it. You're going to go through hurricanes-it's just a question of when. Most of the natives don't give it much thought, other than being prepared. It's all just part of living here.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Do good times outweigh hurricane possibilities?

Im beginning to like the Pacific Northwest here on the coast more all the time <br /><br />No severe weather, (Almost never). <br /><br />40-45 lows in the winter, (average), and 70-85 summer highs. (Average).<br /><br />I can put on a jacket in the winter and go outside, (Sometimes rain gear), and run around in a T shirt in the summer. Heck, My house doesnt even have air conditioning, and my winter heating (electric) is about $85.00 a month.<br /><br />I quess I shouldnt have gave out the secret, more people will move here now and the traffic will be worse.

 

[GradyBob]

Re: Do good times outweigh hurricane possibilities?

Hey Navigator, grrat truth about the state, perhaps we can get more people to leave the state than come here?<br /><br />Born and raised in the state and we have been to British Columbia and Alberta. Until I got a boat and my kayaks, Florida is kind of boring place to be unless you are on the water. We have vacation rental homes in the Smoky Mountains, so we get a chance to experience the cold, ice and snow every now and then. Given that, I love living here.<br /><br />Some of my state's superlatives -<br />We have more first magnitude freshwater springs than any other place in North America.<br />We experience more lightening strikes than any place in the western hemisphere.<br />We produce the nation's orange's for juice.<br />We have more endemic and rare species than all other states, except for California.<br />To appreciate Florida's beauty, you need to observe the subtle things.<br />We have the highest resident population of bald eagles south of Alaska.<br />We have the most beef cattle east of the Missippi.<br />We have a bunch of snow birds in Palm Beach County who do not know how to use a punch ballot voting machine. ( Please note most of the people in Palm Beach County are not southerners and are not native Floridians, they are people who mainly came from the northeast) <br />We are called the Sunshine State, but have almost as many days with rain as we do with sun.<br />We have more registered boats than any other state in the Union.

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: Do good times outweigh hurricane possibilities?

Originally posted by KaGee:<br />

Originally posted by phatmanmike:<br /> ...lived in a van,

Down by the river?? <br />

yes , actually!! we crapped in the woods and ate fish, it was rough, but it was unforgettable

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: Do good times outweigh hurricane possibilities?

We have more first magnitude freshwater springs than any other place in North America.

world, actually. most freshwater springs in the world

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: Do good times outweigh hurricane possibilities?

We experience more lightening strikes than any place in the western hemisphere

actually, pinellas county is the world capitol<br />

We have more registered boats than any other state in the Union

actually, michigan is. we come in 3rd<br />

We produce the nation's orange's for juice

california

 

[brother chris]

Re: Do good times outweigh hurricane possibilities?

Well, I understand a bit better now. I still like where I live though. <br />We here in Western Canada have no worries about any natural disaster. <br />Most people here are laid back and smoke B.C. bud(I guess that is why they are laid back )<br />We have rain for at least 6 months of the year. It snows out here maybe 1-2 days a year and the snow is gone the same day most of the time. <br />Although you can drive 1/2 hour up any mountain and there is 10-30 feet of snow. <br />It's cool, in the winter I can golf in the morning and go skiing in the afternoon. <br />I also go boating year round(if you don't mind wearing a heavy jacket due to the cold).<br />I guess it is "to each their own" right.

 

[12Footer]

Re: Do good times outweigh hurricane possibilities?

Sounds great, Chris. I sure would like to visit up there some day. I can take some pretty cold temps,even tho I was born and raised down here. People are fond of saying "you get acclimated to the heat and humidity after a few seasons"...Do not belive it. There are few places I wouldn't rather be between June and November.It's brutal.