What side of Florida is safer to live in ? (Jacksonville: home, rent)

[hello47]

Hello, what parts of florida are safer to live in from hurricanes? The east coast or Gulf of Mexico area? Please let me know....We are thinking about visiting and maybe moving there. But really not sure what side is safer from the weather? Thanks !!

[hiknapster]

Either side has a chance of getting a hurricane. I believe that the Miami and Keys area has the highest chance, though, and the Jacksonville area has the least.

[Ladywithafan]

It's kind of like "Pin the Tail on the Donkey"....there is no one safe place.

[CBB]

Generally, the South gets hit more, Gulf and Atlantic, but the Panhandle is also prone to landfalls. Here are some web sites:

Hurricane Strikes by State, 1900-1996

Hurricane Probabilities

Landfalling Hurricanes 1950-2002

[cottonwood2420]

Originally Posted by hello47

Hello, what parts of florida are safer to live in from hurricanes? The east coast or Gulf of Mexico area? Please let me know....We are thinking about visiting and maybe moving there. But really not sure what side is safer from the weather? Thanks !!

There is no safe place in Florida from Hurricanes.

[CSC]

Hi:

To answer your questions, its very unpredictable where a hurricane hits, I have lived here more than 30 years and have only been involved in the Miami Hurricane a few years ago and the three we got in 2004 (ALL OF THESE WHERE ON THE EAST COAST) and thats in 30 years. The West Coast also gets hits, that is where Katrina went and parts of the Panhandle and Jacksonville got hit. Apparently it has to do with the water temperatures, the hotter side gets the hurricanes. At least with a hurricane you get warnings, where you do not with Tornados, Flooding, Ice Storms, etc. I feel very safe in Florida and would never leave her, even if there is a hurricane, unless I really have to go. Hope that helps you

[tallrick]

The safest place is any part of Florida beyond the storm surge in a well built building. The water is what takes the most life, not the wind (think New Orleans). I would rather deal with a hurricane than an earthquake, anyday. Do not trust your life to a poorly built home, go to a shelter if there is any doubt. If you decide to stay make sure you have supplies and a tarp to cover your home if the roof is damaged.

[Norrisrose2]

good advice tallrick... we are from NJ and plan on moving to port cahrlotte area in the next year or so

[Suncoaster]

Originally Posted by CSC

Hi:

To answer your questions, its very unpredictable where a hurricane hits, I have lived here more than 30 years and have only been involved in the Miami Hurricane a few years ago and the three we got in 2004 (ALL OF THESE WHERE ON THE EAST COAST) and thats in 30 years. The West Coast also gets hits, that is where Katrina went and parts of the Panhandle and Jacksonville got hit. Apparently it has to do with the water temperatures, the hotter side gets the hurricanes. At least with a hurricane you get warnings, where you do not with Tornados, Flooding, Ice Storms, etc. I feel very safe in Florida and would never leave her, even if there is a hurricane, unless I really have to go. Hope that helps you

There were four - an unprecedented number, I believe - in 2004. Charlie hit the gulf coast, making landfall in Port Charlotte and traveling up the center of the state. Hurricane Frances hit the east coast. Hurricane Ivan was the next FL hit - it landfell in the panhandle. Then Hurricane Jeanne struck the east coast, near where Frances made landfall. 2004 was a horrid year for FL, and we didn't fare so well in 2005 either - South FL got some serious damage from Wilma - although nothing was as bad as Charlie and the hammering the state took in '04.

Hotter sea surface temps fuel a hurricane, but wind shear plays a role as well. When shear is high enough, it shreds storms, impeding their development (one of the inhibiting factors in El Nino years).

Tallrick's advice is excellent - don't trust your safety to a poorly constructed home. And the closer you are to water, the more danger there is. Have a storm kit ready and tarps.

Wherever you decide to live, know if you'll need to evacuate for hurricanes - or flooding - and know the route you'll take. And know your elevation.

No part of FL is safe, although parts of the gulf coast (around the Tampa Bay area) haven't been hit as often as S. Florida's east coast. HOWEVER, when a major one hits Pinellas County - a peninsula with limited routes out - the damage will be worse and it's doubtful that all the residents who need to get out will be able to do so. S/W Tampa is in a similar situation. Charlie was originally forecast to hit us here in Tampa Bay, and that was nervewracking to watch it coming, before it was pushed eastward by an approaching front.

The part of FL hit least often - so far - has been the Jacksonville area. But that doesn't mean a big one won't strike. And really, it only takes one.

[Mar1lyn27]

I always thought that being away from the coast, whether east or west, was supposedly safer?

The hurricanes lose steam once they come ashore. Right??

FYI: i'm a NY- Long Islander; and for some some reason over the decades LI has earned the nickname "hurricane alley" - we occasionally gt them, but not like FL does.