This Florida City Considered ‘Safe Haven’ From Hurricanes
Florida real estate professionals are discovering more and more coastal residents are giving up their beachfront and other waterfront homes. They’re fleeing inland to escape increasingly harsh weather and less frequent hurricane activity. One Florida city was deemed a ‘safe-haven’ from hurricanes.
Accordingly, they are also attempting to escape what is now nationally recognized as an insurance crisis in the Sunshine State. They’re not leaving the state, just abandoning the coast.
Where are they headed? In droves, fed-up Floridians are flocking to Ocala. The small inland town is located about an hour north of Tampa on I-75. It’s known for being the best horse country south of Kentucky, and as home to John Travolta. But, now, it’s also becoming known as the best place to be if you want to stay in Florida, but maybe at a higher elevation. Ocala is about 100 feet above sea level, making it very attractive to prospective homebuyers.
What other perks are there?
Insurance is cheaper, and the peace of mind that comes from being in the area of the state least impacted by recent storm damage seals the deal. Ocala is in Marion County, which is one of the cheapest counties for homeowners insurance. Premiums averaging about $1,800, compared to $5,600 in Miami-Dade, and $7,500 in the Keys.
Ocala recently topped a study conducted for the “Wall Street Journal” that evaluated Florida cities based on government weather forecasting models, as well as the number of hospital beds, and the quality of infrastructure.
Ocala was deemed to be the Florida city with the lowest risk of coastal flooding compared to other inland towns.
Claiming the spot as Florida’s city with the “lowest risk of coastal flooding,” according to Climate Alpha. Ocala also easily passes as a town with a low risk of flooding compared to other inland towns. Ocala is not completely impervious to the effects of tropical storms and hurricanes, as we saw in 2017 when Hurricane Ian caused minor power outages and flooding. However, it was nothing compared to harder-hit areas of the state, and there was no significant damage during Hurricane Idalia in August.
5 Things You Should Have Before Hurricane Season Starts
Empty Sand Bags
Remember when everyone was scrambling all over Pinellas and Hillsborough counties looking for sand bags? Most pick-up locations were only allowing people to pick up 2-3 bags per person, which is probably not enough to surround your house/belongings.
BBGI
If you order these empty sandbags on Amazon now, you should have them by next week. It will make your life a lot easier to just drive to your nearest beach or causeway and fill the bags up that way.
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Battery Powered Fan
We all know how crappy it is to lose power in the middle of a hurricane. In some cases, you may not know when it will be restored. Amazon has this really cool battery powered camping lantern with a fan for only $20. Reviews say that 1 set of D batteries lasted them over 10 hours.
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Footwear
If you live in Florida and don’t have a decent pair of rain boots, now is your time to get a pair. If the thought of gross storm water touching your skin freaks you out, you should grab a pair of these knee high waterproof boots.
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Honorary Mention: Board Games/Deck of Cards/Coloring Books
This one may seem obvious, which is why we made it an honorary mention in case it does slip your mind. Remember how bored you were when you lost power from Ian? Some board games, deck of cards, or coloring books should help you pass the time, without killing your phone battery.
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