Florida Keys Hurricanes

While hurricane Ian danced past Key West on it’s destructive way to Naples and Ft Myers they did experience substantial flooding with high winds. Let’s get some facts straight.   Florida is the hurricane capital of the US, 40% of all hurricanes hit Florida.  Key West is directly impacted by a hurricane every 6 years.  The Florida Keys are over 1,700 islands spanning 113 miles with the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast and the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest, the coastal town is exposed to all sides to a passing hurricane. There are 42 Bridges linking the keys to the mainland including the 7 Mile Bridge, if a bridge goes down it’s a big mess.   They are getting a new 7 mile bridge at a cost of $500 to $600 million.

The Atlantic gulf hurricane in 1919 with 150 mph winds took 500 lives and the 1935 Florida Keys hurricane with 185 mph gusts killed 423.

Living in the Keys it’s important to know when a hurricane is coming so you can leave.  Although the homes built in Old Town Key West in the late 1800s and early 1900s were predominantly wood frame, most remain standing