Are you thinking of moving to Florida while also considering which places are prone to hurricanes and which ones are not? In our previous YouTube video, we discussed the worst and best places to live in Florida in regards to hurricanes. Where are the least and most hurricane-prone areas?
You might be thinking where you can live in Florida where you won’t get hit by hurricanes, storm surge, high winds, potential tornados, and the floodings. There are so many things to be concerned about.
Questions like, “Are they above sea level?”, “Are they below sea level?”, “Is Florida sinking?” are all to be considered. Hurricanes affect flooding and they affect the amount of water that is going in your home if your town gets hit. These concerns are all valid.
Storm-surge areas
In 2022, Florida has been hit by Hurricane Ian and areas like Cape Coral, Naples, and Fort Myers have been affected greatly. These areas are also sitting at 3 feet above sea level so you can see why they have a strong storm surge.
Starting with the worst areas where statistically they get hit the hardest with hurricanes and tying it in with the distance above sea level that the area is, the lowest points would be in the Florida Keys in Miami at about 3 or 4 feet above sea level. The highest point in Florida is Britton Hill which is 345 feet above sea level.
Hurricane prone areas
One of the most hurricane prone areas is the Panhandle, specifically the northwest area.
The Panhandle has passed every other state with its total of 66 hurricanes since 1851. This was the year when they started really documenting hurricanes. Even though there is an extremely high point in the Panhandle, most of it is actually closer to sea level at 3 to 10 feet above.
The second most hurricane prone area is Southwest Florida with a total of 49 hurricanes. The most recent was Hurricane Andrew in 1992 which was a category 5 and it hit Miami so hard it caused the creation of new building codes for South Florida. Miami sits above 4 feet so the storm surge threat is real.
When it comes to the least prone areas, along the northeast coast of Florida is one of them. It sits on cooler waters and has a cooler climate than south Florida. The area has only seen 26 hurricanes. Hurricanes that pass through the Caribbean are more likely to stay at sea longer and begin curling upward in the US towards South and North Carolina.
Safe Areas
If you want to stay safe from hurricanes but still want to reap the benefits of being a resident in Florida, the middle of Florida near the Georgia border is one of the safest places to be in. Since this area isn’t directly on Florida’s Atlanta or Gulf Coast, it typically does not take direct hits in the form of 120 mph winds. Instead, they get calmer winds when hurricanes hit. However, there’s not a lot going on in that area. It’s extremely rural and quiet, which is maybe what you’d like.
So where does Orlando fit into this?
Orlando sits at 82 feet above sea level. Clermont, one of the suburbs nearby, has lots of hills and is 305 feet above sea level. While Orlando still got hit with heavy rain and flooding by the recent Hurricane Ian, it is still classified as one of the least prone cities for hurricanes and all of Florida. That is why Mr. Disney decided to make Orlando the home of the mouse.
Orlando is right in the center of Florida 60 miles away from the coastline. By the time the storm reaches inland, it’s usually nothing more than strong winds and heavy rainfall. If a tropical storm does develop, hurricanes can be detected well in advance with storm trackers and we have advanced warning systems and plenty of TV and radio alerts to keep you updated.
The times that Disney World Closed
When Mr. Disney decided to open Disney World in Orlando, he did a lot of research about Orlando beforehand to make sure that it would be a safe place.
The number of times Disney closed for hurricanes in Orlando was just a handful of eight times since 1999. Before Ian, it had been five years since Disney had a closure due to a hurricane.
Insurance Suggestions
You always want to prepare for a hurricane, regardless of the intensity of it. It’s important to have home insurance and even though most policies have a 2% hurricane deductible, you definitely want to check your policy and check your coverage.
Be aware that whenever a hurricane forms, insurance companies stop taking policies, so you can’t wait for a hurricane to come and get a policy.
Conclusion
Statistically, Orlando is one of the most hurricane-safe cities in Florida. If you’re thinking of moving here, please download our free relocation guide here or watch our videos through our YouTube channel for more information.
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