Another hit
Hurricane Milton may not have been as bad as feared, but the storm, hard on the heels of Helene, while our communities continue to recover from Ian, was bad enough.
Making landfall at Siesta Key in Sarasota County as a Category 3 hurricane, Milton brought record-breaking rain — what meteorologists are calling a 1,000-year deluge.
Southwest Florida saw dozens of tornadoes with the National Weather Service documenting at least 126 as Milton made its way across the state.
As of Friday morning, the storm-related death toll was at 16 as rescue and recovery efforts continued.
AccuWeather puts the preliminary estimate for damage and economic between $160 billion and $180 billion.
Again, we begin to recover.
Again, we begin to rebuild.
Again, we stress our resiliency.
For we Floridians, it’s SOP.
For our leaders at the state level, it may be more than hyperbole and promises this go around.
The 1000 Friends reports that “legislative leaders are already talking about prioritizing resilience as our communities rebuild. We welcome this objective, which has long been a priority of 1000 Friends.”
It’s long been a priority for many of us who have, literally, weathered the storm and we, too, wait with interest to see how preparing for the next one — and the next — for our vulnerable piece of paradise plays out.
As we did two weeks ago, we add continuing federal recovery funds and insurance reform at both the state and federal level.
As a state and as a nation we must address how casualty claims are processed and paid as well as how risk pools affect premiums, already unaffordable for many.
This includes an overhaul of national flood insurance policies, a program under the auspices of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which also is needed to bring in more low-risk policy holders with low-cost polices that will make premiums more affordable for everyone who wants one.
Recovery will happen.
We have no doubt.
Reform and resiliency for the future.
Those are the hard tasks that lay ahead.
— Breeze editorial