Storms: Deerfield Beach, Boynton Beach (Palm Beach: house, construction, tornado)

[Neevans]

Deerfield Beach is in Broward County just south of Palm Beach County. Do not see Broward County listed in the Florida thread categories. May move there.

Was any part of Deerfield Beach destroyed during any hurricane in the last.... 50 years? The same question for Boynton Beach. If you live in this area of Florida what may be different about your life because of the possibility of a devastating hurricane, special preparations, plans. What was it like to be there in that part of Florida in 1992 for Andrew?

[ndcairngorm]

If you want to go back 50 years, I would say that every part of Florida has suffered some storm damage from one hurricane or another over this time period. Deerfield Beach is no more vulnerable than any other town. The most recent storm last year did minor damage, such as knocking down trees and blowing off downspouts and gutters from roofs. The damage was cleaned up quickly. Flimsy constructions get more damage, naturally, as anywhere.

[Neevans]

Originally Posted by ndcairngorm

If you want to go back 50 years, I would say that every part of Florida has suffered some storm damage from one hurricane or another over this time period. Deerfield Beach is no more vulnerable than any other town. The most recent storm last year did minor damage, such as knocking down trees and blowing off downspouts and gutters from roofs. The damage was cleaned up quickly. Flimsy constructions get more damage, naturally, as anywhere.

Thank you. Well, it looks like what I expected to read! - even though I tried to make the situation more fraught in the question. In order to try to plan ahead for the rest of my life as the people in Puna (Hawai'i) thought they had done in building on lava. That did not turn out well because the area was always fraught.

This is not a blog but I will go on record in the Florida category to talk about Hawai'i, another choice for retirement... to say that that entire area favored by people building cheaply to last through their retirement = now gone ...was my stomping ground - I taught there shopped at the health food store there swam there hiked there climbed there soaked in the hot pond there attended gatherings in homes there - all the area below a certain main artery is gone now.

Wow. What a period to the time spent in Hawai'i a few months before one leaves permanently from tamer Honolulu.

[ndcairngorm]

Well, I'm not sure what you're wanting to hear, but if you don't want to be threatened by hurricanes you should not consider Florida. They get hurricanes in some part of Florida every year. You also should not consider the Gulf Coast of Texas, Louisiana, or Mississippi. If you want a more benign climate where no hurricanes occur this is not the part of the US to be considering. If you don't want to be threatened by tornadoes you should not consider the "tornado alley" portion of the US, which gets devastating tornadoes nearly every year in some part of that area.

People who live in these areas usually have some sort of plan for their survival in case the storm hits their area directly. Power outages of days and sometimes weeks means keeping a supply of candles and matches on hand; most people (who plan to stay in the area rather than evacuating) fill their bathtub and other containers with water in case the water supply is interrupted. Storm shutters are part of most people's house fittings in Florida and other coastal areas. Canned goods that don't need cooking, a full tank of gas in the car during the summer storm months, and an idea of what things to grab quickly if the weather takes you by surprise (family pictures, valuable papers, etc), are all part of a prepared person's plan for life in hurricane country.