How do people in Miami deal with Hurricane season?

[cixcell]

coral gables has a massive tree canopy. homestead was scraped clean.

[Optional Angel]

Tbh, we don't really think about it that much. How do people in Chicago or Boston prepare for winter? I don't know anyone who stockpiles food on June 1st or something in preparation. If we hear that there might be a big storm coming (Cat 1+, tropical storms don't really do much unless you're in an older house and it hits you directly, even then it's survivable) you just buy a couple cans of beans and fill up the car. Some people put up hurricane shutters every season, my parents are lazy so we have them up year-round, except for a few windows. You really don't need to have them up since you will know at least a week before if you have to put them on. One interesting thing that I have seen people do is cut down their trees after a hurricane to collect on insurance. During Wilma half my neighborhood chopped the trees that the city plants in between the driveway and street area, to provide shade and stuff and the City of Hialeah gave them a couple thousand dollars and planted them back.

[relocatingresearcher]

Originally Posted by cixcell

anything new you pretty much wont have to worry about because the building codes are much better than they were when hurricane andrew obliterated homestead.
its kind of an evolution of building materials. every time a hurricane does damage, they change codes or fix what was damaged with something stronger so that each time it happens the damage is less.
its not a full out gamble like living in tornado alley. its a calculated risk. you can plan and build for hurricanes, with tornados youre just screwed. (the wind speeds of tornados are so high that youd basically have to build all houses like war bunkers)

Got that right! Tornadoes scare the crap out of me. It is so upsetting to hear the sirens go off. And more upsetting to sit and stare at your family while you huddle together, hope and pray you dont hear anything coming. Been way too close to too many and had one come right through one of our neighborhoods.

[tallrick]

I too get excited hoping my hurricane proof homes will get tested. Clean up is no problem as I have bobcats, a chipper, dozer and various saws to make it easy. I have no insurance so this is my "insurance". My generator runs continuously after a storm which helps convert storm debris into power for my home. usually I ride it out in Miami at my parents home, then after they were cleaned up and repaired I went home to clean up my mess. If you build a strong home with a concrete roof I see no way a hurricane can blow it away. If you elevate the storm surge is no problem either.