Posted on 08/14/2004 1:42:49 AM PDT by kattracks
Captiva Island has not taken a hit like this in decades. These people paid to live a lifetime in paradise with the understanding that there might be a few days of hell and a lot of cleanup at some point. They got 30-40 years of the best life can offer.
Now they pick up, clean up and settle back in paradise again.
These little barrier islands really should not be built up. But if they are then tax money should not be used to rebuild. 6k for windstorm is a great deal. Rebuild will cost tax payer about 250,000k / house.
Happily it looks like the folks living there were smart enough to leave, looking at the map I'd say the island is maybe 5 or 6 feet above sea level.
It jumped two categories in the last half hour prior to landfall and then changed direction. I doubt they had enough time at that point to go anywhere. Living in mobile homes they should have evacuated Thursday when the evac orders went out.
Because it's absolutely gorgeous there, the weather is nice most of the time, and they haven't had a major hurricane in over 40 years.
Same as you -- for the weather and ambience. We have weather in the 70s year round here by the Pacific in So Cal. Some 80s in the summer, and some 60s in the winter. In between the earthquakes and fires, it's great. (Actually, we do not live in a fire zone personally, though we do live in a huge terrorist target area...)
G-d bless everyone worried, injured, or without property from this force majeure.
At tax payer expense. You want to live on a little barrier island? Or on a fault line? Cool, but do it at your own expense, not with tax dollars.
Try to get private insurance, no insurance company will touch you, why? Because, it is crazy to insure a home build on a tiny island in a huricane prone area.
Texas finally put an end to the worst offenders and would bought out hundreds of homes. No more tax payers insurance, sell out or take your chances, most/all sold.
Charlie was nasty, but I have seen far bigger storms that would cut the islands into little pieces, we had a little island about the same size in Galveston Bay, Allica cut it into 3 pieces and slowly the island washed away.
A storm like Allen or Carla would completely wipe out these little islands, nothing left, not even the islands.
Captiva Island, along with the entire area down there can be describded as nothing less than paradise. Exquisite beaches, white sands, fantastic weather, gorgeous views and clean beyond belief. It's an area where people not only take pride in how the area looks, they make sure the natural areas are not destroyed anymore by man than necessary.
The same goes from most of the Florida Keys. All it takes is one visit to the area to see why people are willing to chance an act of God taking out their home every 30-40 years to live in paradise.
If I had the money, I'd live there (or the Keys) in a heartbeat.
Don't the Bushes have a vacation place on one of the little islands in Lee County?
Yes but I'm not sure exactly which barrier island it's on. So far I've heard nothing out of Jeb Bush about his home etc.
That is very similar to the scene from the coastal mountains above Port Hueneme State beach in CA. On and pleasant day you can see two islands from there:)
Has Kerry said it is all Bush's fault yet?
My problem is how at times people can be so foolish, building on a little barrier island, staying in a mobil home with a huricane comming, not seeking higher gound from a low lying coastal plain. I just don't get it. My house is 12 feet above sea level, I'll stay for a cat 1 or cat 2, cat 3 I'll think about cat 4 and I am outta here.
I suspect, before the day is out, Kerry or one of his croonies will make some comment that Bush hasn't done enough to help the people of Florida.
Let the games begin.
The Fla keyes are bigger higher then these little barrier islands are they? Maybe I am wrong, I am thinking the fla barrier islands are just like the little Texas barrier islands which get wiped out and cut to pieces over time.
are they=aren't they
. Fri., Aug. 13: Candace Gott reacts to loss of her mobile home from Hurricane Charley in North Fort Myers, Fla. "We lost everything" she said.
The storm was well within the predicted path, even if it was at the edge of the prediction. The predicted path is always a wedge, not a line.
I'm a bit more leery of them since seeing the damage from Hugo. The bad thing about that one was, most of the damage seemed to have been from tornados, not the hurricane itself.
50 miles isn't "much further north."
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