@jsr78 In all the years that I've been frustrated that authorities and media were denying climate change, burning up the atmosphere, and ridiculing the scientists, I never considered the day would come when instead of feeling vindicated, I'd just feel so incredibly sad for people. But last night, all I could feel was a cloud of grief and shock over Florida. I am sorry I wrote that federal aid should only go to relocating, not rebuilding. This was not the time for I told you so.
Praying for them all. Praying for them to be soothed, healed, reassured, enfolded in the arms of angels. Glad Biden is doing the right thing.Â
Would our Florida community members tell us how they are doing? Â Feeling? @ana
Well, as far as my immediate community, I am fine and so is our family and all of our "stuff". The 40 mph wind gusts did nothing more than blow down some already-dead branches and palm fronds. There were a few trees down in the county and a localized power outage which was quickly repaired. (Power at my house never even flickered.) We only had about an inch of rain. Relatives near Tarpon Springs are also fine, no damage to anything. Our area utility companies are sending work crews south to help get electricity, cell service, etc., back online and also to help clear the roads. There are a lot of private relief drives, both small and large, collecting food , water and supplies to take south. Â
As far as rebuilding goes: The ruination of natural Florida is a big trigger for me. I was born and raised in FL and except for a gap where I left to get a good post-high school education, I've always lived here. My family lived on the same plot of land for 150 years.  I've seen a lot of changes and they break my heart.
So on one hand, I'm kind of glad when I see the beaches cleaned of condos, but on the other I do recognize that actual human beings are suffering great emotional pain and loss of material security, then I feel guilty for feeling glad about the beach-cleaning.Â
I have to remind myself that most of the people living on the sandbars don't understand the sandbars' temporary nature and just assume building is fine because "everyone is doing it".  And that people who don't evacuate either can't, or they truly do not understand the danger. (Of course there are also those who are so wealthy that they can absorb the financial blow of losing their mansion without flinching, and others who are adrenaline junkies and get high on risking their lives. But those are probably a minority.)
And then there are the willfully ignorant, who've been warned and lectured and warned again, but who are willfully contrary in the same vein as are the magats (even if they don't share the magats' political views). For those, I find it very difficult to summon up compassion.
I still think there are parts of the coast that should simply be redlined as ineligible for government aid for repairing and rebuilding. If they owner wants to rebuild, they should carry the cost themselves instead of making everyone else pay it. If they can't rebuild, perhaps the govt could purchase the sand the house was on and make it into a naturalized park, slowly knitting together a larger and larger conservation area as the sandlots are abandoned. (It's a nice fantasy.)
Also, laws for private insurance should be revised so that insurance rates reflect the true risk that these homes are under. Yes, the rates on the coast are *somewhat* higher than those in the interior, but the differential cost does not reflect the true difference in the risk. It's like I said in a previous post-- if you want a beach house, fine, but don't make the people with solid homes in low-risk areas subsidize your whims. Pay the price yourself. I think that would discourage a fair amount of building.
So, Florida is under a hurricane watch right now. Nicole is on the way to the east coast of Florida. Did anyone tell her it is November???
@lovendures  Right now she's aimed at Palm Beach, according to the tracking models.  May she cleanse the crap out of MaraglobO, a la Hercules and the Augean Stables.
Nicole report from inland northern Florida. We had some rainshowers this afternoon-- and the satellite map revealed they are extreme outer bands of Nicole. We need rain up here. Bring it on.Â
@lovendures  Right now she's aimed at Palm Beach, according to the tracking models.  May she cleanse the crap out of MaraglobO, a la Hercules and the Augean Stables.
In the same vein, here's the meaning of the name "Nicole", according to Wikipedia:Â
"The given name Nicole is a French feminine derivative of the masculine given name Nicolas, which is of Greek origin and has been formed as a compound of the words for "victory" and "people" (hence it may be interpreted as "victory of the people")."
Such signs and portents!
The inevitable result of anthropogenic sea level rise coupled with the natural migration of sand bars. (Barrier islands are nothing more than sandbars that are stable in the short term.):
https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/video/backyards-disappear-as-nicole-batters-florida-coast