*Captiva island appears to be a small barrer island less then 1/2 mile wide and about 4 or 5 miles long. Why would someone build a house on a little barrer island knowing that huricanes happen all the time?*
How 'bout because it's beautiful living on an island. We pay outrageous amounts of money for smaller homes (I went from 4000+ square feet in NC to less than 2000 in the Fl keys) and really outrageous windstorm insurance premiums (ours is well over $6k per year, in addition to our regular homeowners policy) but that is the price you pay to live in paradise.
Why do people live in California, where an earthquake can destroy their homes? Or in Kansas, where a tornado can destroy theirs?
Living in a hurricane zone requires planning and can be expensive, but when the storms aren't here it's quite nice.
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.
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.