[markjames68]

Originally Posted by logybogy

You know they make something called whole-house generators if you can't bare to be without AC for a week.

It's a lot cheaper than uprooting your whole life for an event that only happens once a decade or so.

That’s at the high end. If you don’t need everything to be automated my outlay of $4K let’s me run just about everything, including central AC. The only real planning is to have enough gasoline on hand.

[chopchop0]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

People are always talking about the beautiful, perfect weather in California, but they have a LOT of wildfires on the regular, with high winds; and are always in a drought, I do not call that "perfect weather." Not to mention the most polluted cities in the US are mostly in California (Florida has some of the best). I will take too much rain/hurricanes any day over that. Even in good times, much of that state looks dead and brown. And hurricanes occur during a certain season; so if one is able, can vacate during that time. At the very least there is a lot of notice that one is imminent.

Not to mention the the ridiculously higher housing prices

[Robino1]

Originally Posted by Calabaza dream

I disagree. I've been through Andrew, Katrina, Wilma and Irma so I think I know what a "hurricane" feels like. Irma was just as stressful. We as a state were better prepared and our structures are better now. FPL got power stored much faster than in 1992 but we would expect that.

It doesn't mean though that people didn't face difficulties. Before the storm We had major food, water, batteries, hurricane panels and gas shortages. I had never seen such shortages before. The lines at Home Depot, Costco and gas stations were horrible. Many people were without power for days. food got spoiled. Roofs got damaged, fences fell, trees damaged homes. Andrew was stronger but it only lasted a few hours. Irma felt like it was never gonna end. So many people lost power because of the storm's northern track. Had Irma had a track like Andrew(western track) it would have only affected a few people in 5 or 6 counties. Restoration of power took so long because practically the whole state was without power.

I think I will have Irma nightmares in the future. For me it was extremely stressful. On top of that we had no phone or cell service for days and my 82 year old aunt was stressed out because she kept calling but we were not getting the calls. Sadly my aunt was the one who died 2 weeks later so this storm reminds me of her stress too.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

[843904]

Originally Posted by Whu

My wife and I moved here over a decade ago. We have great careers, beautiful children, great school, nice house a few blocks from the beach, etc. Irma broke something about Florida for us. We were without power for a week and it was hell. I've started looking for jobs in the north east and we're prepping our house to sell. There's something about September in the north. I just can't be unbearably hot anymore. Our neighborhood still smells of rotten debris.

I realize this may read like a complaint post. It's not. We've been all over Florida from the Keys to High Springs... we still love it and the plan is to come back for a week or two in the spring moving forward.

I guess the battle with the heat wore me out as a full-time resident.

Why would you announce the world that you're a wuss and an overall failure at life? Seriously...nut up!

[Robino1]

In that vein, I would be considered a wuss to not be able to deal with the cold and snow in the north.

Sometimes people hit their limit on what they can deal with. The hurricane was just the last straw for the OP. I don't fault them for hitting that wall. Florida doesn't suit everyone.

[convextech]

Originally Posted by Whu

Irma broke something about Florida for us.

Harvey did the same to my cousin. She is not rebuilding her home (she owns it), she is selling the land as-is and leaving. She endured flooding any time it rained, but this just did her in. She's moving further north also.

[convextech]

Originally Posted by SpringSnow

check into a hotel room

You can't go to a hotel when there is no power in the entire area.

[Robino1]

The ones that had power got booked VERY quickly if they weren't booked beforehand

[mph101]

Originally Posted by Calabaza dream

I disagree. I've been through Andrew, Katrina, Wilma and Irma so I think I know what a "hurricane" feels like. Irma was just as stressful. We as a state were better prepared and our structures are better now. FPL got power stored much faster than in 1992 but we would expect that.

It doesn't mean though that people didn't face difficulties. Before the storm We had major food, water, batteries, hurricane panels and gas shortages. I had never seen such shortages before. The lines at Home Depot, Costco and gas stations were horrible. Many people were without power for days. food got spoiled. Roofs got damaged, fences fell, trees damaged homes. Andrew was stronger but it only lasted a few hours. Irma felt like it was never gonna end. So many people lost power because of the storm's northern track. Had Irma had a track like Andrew(western track) it would have only affected a few people in 5 or 6 counties. Restoration of power took so long because practically the whole state was without power.

I think I will have Irma nightmares in the future. For me it was extremely stressful. On top of that we had no phone or cell service for days and my 82 year old aunt was stressed out because she kept calling but we were not getting the calls. Sadly my aunt was the one who died 2 weeks later so this storm reminds me of her stress too.

I fully agree with you about the stress and anxiety. It started the Tuesday before the storm hit the following Sunday. It was started by rick scott declaring a state of emergency that Tuesday. 2 to 4 days ahead of mandatory evacuation orders. At my location evacuation orders weren't made until Saturday morning. But if you didn't have gas in the tank by Tuesday evening, or anything else you were SOL! Very nerve wracking people acted silly and rude. As expected. But there was nothing left for those that had mandatory orders to leave by that time.

That was a bad call giving all that attention to a state of emergency so early with a storm so far away and no real confidence in its long range track by the NHC.

[Vanderbiltgrad]

Florida is the best state to live in if you hate the cold but it has it's problems as well. I really like having 4 seasons so I like TN weather than FL.