[sinatras]

Originally Posted by sm0key

I was talking to a contractor today about fabric hurricane shutters that you put over the windows with wingnuts and screw pegs attached to the outside walls. For a 2-story house, it's a bit of a job because you'll need a long ladder and more time before a storm.

He made me aware of another disgusting example of the price gouging going on. He said he's gotten calls from customers needing help putting 'em up and he found out there's laborers charging $75 per window to put 'em up and another $75 per window to come back and take 'em down. I said that's a ripoff! Why would anybody pay that? He said, it's the elderly. They can't do it themselves and have little time to shop around and find someone legitimate. So these so-called jerk laborers know this and are taking advantage of the elderly.

Another reason why it makes NO sense to retire/spend your golden years in a state where you would have to put yourself through this NONSENSE

[Travelassie]

Originally Posted by Old Rocky

Yup. I live where Charley took a sudden right, from its "sure" path to Tampa, right to where I live now. I wasn't living here then but I've heard that story enough times from people here who did go through Charley. All taken totally by surprise. One neighbor had their family from Tampa come down here to escape Charley.

We were worried when we looked at the Ian forecasts a few days before it hit. Lots of talking heads on the TV and YouTube saying Tampa was most likely going to get it, and how Tampa Bay will be flooding everything around it. Tampa, Tampa, Tampa! We felt nervous the whole time, wondering if they'd be wrong again. Sure enough.

But I do remember the weather guy on Wink stress that with the cone, stop looking at that line they often put in the middle, or imagining the middle is its path. No, anywhere in the cone could be the path, even the very edge, and we were never out of that cone.

Whatever, I don't plan on going through that again. Irma was a breezy day compared to this nightmare. It shook me up bad. Thought the roof would lift off and we'd die. Or that the storm surge would drown us in our closet hiding spot. Luckily no flooding where I was, and we were luckier than most, but that wind was a monster to have to listen to for that long. Messes with your head. And my heart breaks for those who had it worse or who lost their lives.

Will be looking for elsewhere to live. Can't do this again.

I wonder how many people, including the recent transplants, will be singing that song?

[sinatras]

Originally Posted by Travelassie

I wonder how many people, including the recent transplants, will be singing that song?

I have watched video after video of 60, 70, 80 year olds in Ft Myers, Bokeelia, Pine Island, etc. crying to TV newscasters about how they have lost everything, have no food or water, and can't even get their medications refilled b/c the insurance won't refill their meds that were literally SWEPT AWAY IN THE STORM SURGE. Who wants to deal with this kind of crap at that age??????????? Time to find another retirement state; Florida AINT IT.


Here's one transplant family that guaranteed will be high-tailing it back to the Keystone State. They get up at 3 a.m. to get in line for gas!

https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/v...and-aftermath/

[Corrie22]

Has a hurricane ever hit anywhere in Florida...that the area didn't come back even bigger?

I can't think of any....after Andrew people were saying Homestead/Florida City would never come back...

...look at it now

[Corrie22]

We all know Michael flattened Mexico Beach in the Panhandle...

”You had some fire sales there in the beginning,” he says. ”That's no longer the case. Gulf-front lots are going for a million beachside or a half a million. We are right back there at the top of the market, and it's still climbing.”'

'There are two housing developments going up and a third one starting soon. Crouse says the risk of living on the coast in an area that was recently leveled by a hurricane hasn't hurt home values.'

https://www.npr.org/2022/06/01/11013...is-coming-back

[LKJ1988]

Ins will go up so much it will run many off jenny.

[Old Rocky]

The post-storm aggravation is another nightmare to have to go through. When you're retired, you don't have a lot of your life left. Dealing with insurance BS is not a good use of our time.

Nor is all the cleanup (4 full days of it), plus all the necessary repairs that we either are doing ourselves, or hiring others, before the insurance company finally decides to send someone out. You have to repair some things right away, in order to prevent other damange from happening.

Also, the wondering and stressing when they are going to send someone to have a look and let us know what the next step is. So far, we've been on our own, despite putting our claim in a week ago. I realize there are others worse off than us but a simple phone call to just acknowledge our claim and maybe some advice would be nice. We're new to this. There's all sorts of warnings out there about being careful who you hire, scammers out in full force, etc. When you're mentally wrecked and physically exhausted after a disaster like this, it's hard to know what's what.

Plus the expense. Hurricane deductible is 2% of building insured amount, so ours is $6,400. That would pay for a nice holiday for us two.

Way too much work. Not worth it.

[sinatras]

Originally Posted by Old Rocky

The post-storm aggravation is another nightmare to have to go through. When you're retired, you don't have a lot of your life left. Dealing with insurance BS is not a good use of our time.

Nor is all the cleanup (4 full days of it), plus all the necessary repairs that we either are doing ourselves, or hiring others, before the insurance company finally decides to send someone out. You have to repair some things right away, in order to prevent other damange from happening.

Also, the wondering and stressing when they are going to send someone to have a look and let us know what the next step is. So far, we've been on our own, despite putting our claim in a week ago. I realize there are others worse off than us but a simple phone call to just acknowledge our claim and maybe some advice would be nice. We're new to this. There's all sorts of warnings out there about being careful who you hire, scammers out in full force, etc. When you're mentally wrecked and physically exhausted after a disaster like this, it's hard to know what's what.

Plus the expense. Hurricane deductible is 2% of building insured amount, so ours is $6,400. That would pay for a nice holiday for us two.

Way too much work. Not worth it.

As a Florida native who has been through countless of these hurricane nightmares, I feel for you. I am sort of stuck here because I am from here and all my family is here. But I dunno why anyone would move here voluntarily and deal with this. Especially not in old age. Boggles the mind.

[OpinionInOcala]

Originally Posted by sm0key

I was talking to a contractor today about fabric hurricane shutters that you put over the windows with wingnuts and screw pegs attached to the outside walls. For a 2-story house, it's a bit of a job because you'll need a long ladder and more time before a storm.

He made me aware of another disgusting example of the price gouging going on. He said he's gotten calls from customers needing help putting 'em up and he found out there's laborers charging $75 per window to put 'em up and another $75 per window to come back and take 'em down. I said that's a ripoff! Why would anybody pay that? He said, it's the elderly. They can't do it themselves and have little time to shop around and find someone legitimate. So these so-called jerk laborers know this and are taking advantage of the elderly.

Reminds me of when a plumbing company charged my widowed grandmother $225 to come install a new flapper in a toilet tank. I was like, "Gram, I live 15 minutes away, and you know you can call me anytime." "I know you work everyday and I didn't wanna be a burden," she said. I was simultaneously angry and heartbroken. Still makes me mad 10-years later thinking about it. That plumber should be punched in the throat.

[sm0key]

Originally Posted by LKJ1988

Ins will go up so much it will run many off jenny.

THE LAWYERS will get most of the money. You watch.