Aerial view of boats in Ocala, FL – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Catherine Cornish
Residents of the city of Ocala are grateful their location still offers a ‘safe haven’ from the harsh weather in the Sunshine State in the wake of the damage Hurricane Idalia wreaked on Florida.
At the end of August, the hurricane caused considerable damage and at least seven direct fatalities, but experts warned that the devastation might have been much worse.
Citizens of Tallahassee, which has roughly 200,000 citizens, witnessed substantial damage but were spared the storm’s eye. Tallahassee is also home to Florida State University and Governor Ron DeSantis’ residence, which was struck by a falling tree.
Ocala, which sits in the middle of the state and receives 40 percent of the nation’s direct hurricane strikes, is thought to have one of the lowest risks for coastal flooding in the state.
Additionally, according to Climate Alpha, which uses analytics to forecast climate volatility, only Lake City and Tallahassee in the state are at a lower risk of experiencing strong winds, a drought, or inland flooding.
Residents of the area tell the Wall Street Journal that even though Hurricane Irma slammed the area quite hard in 2017, the major hurricanes lose strength by the time they reach Ocala, which is 100 feet above sea level.
Even though there was concern that Hurricane Idalia would impact Ocala, the city only experienced small power outages that were quickly repaired and no serious damage.
Additionally, housing expenses are lower in the city and its surroundings, and perhaps most significantly, insurance premiums are lower at a time when some insurance providers choose not to do business in the state.
The average insurance premium in Marion County, where Ocala is located, was $1,894 per year, second lowest in the state only to nearby Sumter County.
In contrast, insurance premiums in Monroe County, Florida, would cost you $7,584.
The premiums are almost as expensive in other hip neighborhoods, such as Palm Beach ($5,710 annually), Broward ($5,519), and Miami Dade ($5,665).
A median luxury home costs $710,000 on average, while Tampa costs $1.5 million and other parts of the state cost more than $3 million. This makes the location appealing.
According to Ocala House Properties broker Matt Varney, “people want to find an easier life” where they don’t have to worry about storms all the time.
Idalia may have made landfall with less intensity than initially anticipated, but many nonetheless suffered serious consequences as the destruction covered much of the state’s west coast and extended into Georgia and South Carolina.
The storm slowed down before it reached the beach, but the National Weather Service continued to track it as it moved forward at 18 mph, which was considerably faster than typical and may have had both positive and negative consequences, according to meteorologists.
The storm’s speed allowed it to pass through some locations pretty quickly, which reduced some of the damage but also allowed it to keep moving and stay on course.
Idalia was a powerful storm with a wide path that allowed it to pass through significant portions of Florida before making landfall in Georgia and the Carolinas. The twister continued to cause havoc on Thursday when storm surges were observed in North Carolina.
Six shelters in Ocala, which did anticipate a significant impact, were only utilized for roughly half a day and were only given to those who truly needed them.
According to the Ocala Star-Banner, the shelters were all elementary schools, all of which were able to reopen the following day.
President Joe Biden also officially declared a major disaster as a result of the devastation elsewhere, allowing the White House to direct government funding to the impacted areas.
According to a statement from the White House, the President’s move makes federal funding accessible to those in need in the counties of Citrus, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee, and Taylor.
Strong winds were reported in Savannah, Georgia, as the storm moved toward the Carolinas and was expected to follow the coast until exiting into the Atlantic Ocean.
According to the National Weather Service, Idalia created a tornado that briefly touched down in Charleston, South Carolina, where the winds sent a car flying and two persons received minor injuries.
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Melissa’s career in writing started more than 20 years ago. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys.
