[KEYS99]

I just read the article and my first impression is that the "northeast winds backing up the Gulf Steam" seems like a weak argument. We get even stronger northeasters every year and this problem seems to be getting worse.
Apparently there's an additional pull in the tides for the "18 year lunar cycle", that gets the moon, sun and earth aligned in a particular way. It's not just the supermoon, which happens every year, but its combination with this particular cycle.
Interesting that there are some houses listed for 1 million plus in the subdivision mentioned in the article that has been flooded for several days. This is not looking good.

[StarfishKey]

Originally Posted by KEYS99

I just read the article and my first impression is that the "northeast winds backing up the Gulf Steam" seems like a weak argument. We get even stronger northeasters every year and this problem seems to be getting worse.
Apparently there's an additional pull in the tides for the "18 year lunar cycle", that gets the moon, sun and earth aligned in a particular way. It's not just the supermoon, which happens every year, but its combination with this particular cycle.
Interesting that there are some houses listed for 1 million plus in the subdivision mentioned in the article that has been flooded for several days. This is not looking good.

Well, the thing people need to understand is that it's complicated. When you live essentially on a sandbar in the middle of the ocean, any number of different factors can combine at various times to cause you headaches and/or damage. We are just very vulnerable down here. So whether it's caused by rain, hurricane, winds, supermoon, king tide, blockage of the Gulf Stream, whatever... a lot of things can mess us up down here, and it doesn't have to be a major hurricane as so many people will so readily but erroneously insist. Waterfront property in Florida takes some thought, and good decision-making, especially if you can't afford to lose the property in your yard or the house itself.

There are million dollar homes in every neighborhood that is oceanfront in the Keys, and all oceanfronts are V zone so prone to bad flooding. Generally speaking, they cost that much not only for the view and boat access, but because they are ABOVE-flood, on stilts, and might be built to at least post-1993 standards. Some will be very new, concrete, and extremely sturdy against 150mph+ winds. Also, a lot of the new houses are really beautiful.

In some cases, although those houses are in a neighborhood that flooded, they had the foresight to build up their entire lot to above-flood standard, before even laying in the foundation, so they are like a fortress now surrounded by a moat.

But of course, one has to consider if that matters to you personally. You'll need the money for a boat to get out of the neighborhood, and your cars might be stranded on your personal little hill for a while. In the meantime, the view will probably be great, waterfront views from every window!

Even buying a personal island here is very expensive, despite the fact that those houses are usually at great risk, plus full of hardship and isolation. They are worth 1 million+ to people, just for the dream (and the privacy). So even in this circumstance of a flooded neighborhood, if your house is on stilts and sturdy as a rock, you might even in that moment find it still to be worth over a million - all the more so if the lot is built up.

The key for anyone buying anywhere down in the Keys is, to plan both for the housing and important storage to all be above-flood, but also to have a ramp or other means of keeping the car elevated, covered, and safe in a time of flooding. In my yard, which is below-flood but higher elevation than some others, the highest point is my foundation. The house is stilt, so offers a natural carport. You simply create a ramp up to synthetic (they last longer in storms) car blocks under the house, then wrap the underside of the car in a tarp to prevent saltwater and salt air damage. But of course, that is only for a minor storm/flood issue where you know there is no worry of a need for evacuation. Generally speaking, it's not the greatest idea to plan to stay when the flooding is that bad, because emergency vehicles can't get to you. Since my yard and house are fairly well elevated (relatively speaking for the Keys anyway), if the water ever got high enough to touch the underside of my car on blocks, I really shouldn't even be here. But still, if you move down here for any length of time, especially if you will stay through the hurricane season, you need to consider what you will do in these scenarios. Up to a point, you can also drive your car out to the highway and park it in the middle, and take a kayak back. But then you are leaving it in a public zone so something may happen to it, and also in the Upper Keys this is less possible now that they planted a horde of trees and shrubs all through our medians that once were used for low category hurricane car parking. One just needs to plan ahead a little.

Thankful that my neighborhood is bone-dry and sunny today, without the news one would never even know that some areas are dealing with flooding.

[Poseidon3290]

How's life in the keys going? Moving down in July, excited to join

[Corrie22]

Originally Posted by Poseidon3290

How's life in the keys going? Moving down in July, excited to join

go to the grocery store, pick up the dry cleaning, go fishing, make a dentist appt, scream at the yard service for cutting a plant back too far, take the boat to dinner, go for a walk after dinner and gossip with the neighbors....

...it's a living hell