While Fort Myers is chilly and calm tonight, this is not a given.
Florida is at grave risk of storm surges. Some 2.9 million homes are in imminent danger, making the Sunshine State second to none when it comes to extreme weather exposure.
Miami takes the lead as the city with the most family homes facing environmental risks. Tampa is third. And Fort Myers takes the uncomfortable sixth position for the number of properties at risk.
"A storm surge is a rise in sea level that occurs during tropical cyclones, intense storms also known as typhoons or hurricanes. The storms produce strong winds that push the water into shore, which can lead to flooding. This makes storm surges very dangerous for coastal regions. ... They form over warm, tropical oceans," per National Geographic.
Florida is investing in environmental resilience
Gov. Ron DeSantis is aware of the climate risks.
Florida government has recently passed a specialized bill (Senate Bill 1954) to combat rising sea levels, surging storms, and ever-more-frequent floods.
The Senate Bill 1954 aims to deliver over $640 million to reinforce Florida's environment against climate disruption.
Fort Myers is one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S
Fort Myers is the 15th fastest growing city in the U.S., according to the U. S. Census Bureau. Meanwhile, some outlets claim it's actually the fasted growing U.S. city.
Fast developing communities are outshined by the looming climate and environmental dangers.
Fort Myers metropolitan area is home to some 322,000 residential properties at risk of storm damage in the event of hurricanes and other strong winds.
The financial damage lingers around $67 billion for storm surges and $72 billion for wind damage, totaling $139 billion.
How many residents can afford to repair their home next or two years from now?
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