As late as it is, will the impact of Ian on southwest Florida,

[cachukis]

have a significant impact on people's attraction to shoreline living in the US?

[Takket]

1. some will leave but they will just be replaced by others.

it will have little to no effect on coastal populations.

[elleng]

2. People, Americans and others, will ALWAYS be attracted to shoreline living.

How they/we make decisions about whether or not actually to live there is another matter entirely.

(I don't mean to brag, but this is where I live, southern MD, 60 miles south of DC on a major river, and I hope it remains as safe as it is now, and has been for MANY years.)

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. Not enough.

I recall reading at least two decades ago, maybe far more, that among the problems about shoreline living is that so many people move there steadily, that the vast majority have had zero experience with even a minor hurricane. As bad as Ian was, most people survived, and the vast majority will stay.

We seriously need to stop bailing them out. No federal aid. You want to live where hurricanes are possible? Fine. Just understand, if you get hit by a hurricane you are on your own.

Among the reasons people thing Florida is so wonderful is no state income tax. Who cares if schools are crappy, or services are poor, or the state can't begin to help out the citizens at all? No state income tax! Personally, I've had it with that attitude. With climate change denying. Here in New Mexico we have a weatherman running for governor. Doesn't think climate change is real. I wonder where exactly he studied meteorology? The St Ignoramus School of Magic and Thumb Twiddling?

Yeah, every place on the planet has its specific dangers and risks. And climate change, global warming, is making most of those dangers worse. Coupled with the serious overpopulation of the entire planet, I think we are all essentially fucked.

[Deuxcents]

4. ☝️

[cachukis]

5. My sister lives in Port Washington, LI. My brother and family

returned to US and wanted the train to the city.
Sandy hit and my brother, near the harbor, evacuated to my sister's.
My sister divorced and wanted to stay in Port. Her share allowed for a co op near the harbor. Only reasonably priced properties were in the flood zone.

It seems that intelligencia is aware of the tides. Insurance companies are, certainly.
Are there that many people unaware of climate change to invest in flood zones. Is the lure of ocean front property that strong?

Insurance companies will protect their investments.
Will the government of the people protect the people from bad investments?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

6. Several things. One is that the lure of ocean front properties really is that strong.

I get it. At various times I've been on the ocean in many different parts of this country. The appeal is strong. For me, it would be on the coast of Oregon, not Florida, but I've fantasized that on occasion.

Meanwhile, the insurance companies are no fools, and that's why things like flood insurance in Florida, or earthquake insurance in California is either hard or extremely expensive to get.

Several years ago I read a remarkable book, The Water Will Come by Jeff Goodell. The subtitle is "Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World." It came out in 2017. I can hardly recommend it enough. Please read it. Heck, I should probably reread it. It comes down very hard on Florida and that state's denial of sea rise. Essentially, he says, the investors and savvy condo owners are already in the process of getting out, because they understand what is going to happen.

Another book I wish everyone would read is Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner. That one came out in 1986, but trust me, is still completely timely and worth reading.

There is a lot out there on the topic of climate change, water, population, and such topics. Reading books is always a good idea. Often books give so much more, and even more timely information than the current news reports, even from the most reliable sources.

Some decades back, when I was in one of my "I don't have a TV" phases (I'm currently in one that's lasted 14 years and expect will never end) a co-worker was genuinely concerned that I was uniformed, unable to keep up with what was going on. So he'd frequently quiz me on what was happening in the world, and was always amazed when I did know what was going on, and could often add details he didn't know about. Okay, so I was also listening to radio, including the early NPR, which helped, but still, I was probably getting most of my information from books and just paying attention to stuff.

End of lecture. Read the books. I can recommend more if you'd like.