Almost a year after Hurricane Idalia tore through Florida, many residents of Horseshoe Beach in the north are still recovering. Those who lost homes ask themselves: Do I stay or go? Rebuild or live differently? Can I afford it? Across the U.S., coastal residents facing climate impacts are making similar calculations.
Lisa Bregenzer poses for a picture on the canal-side lot where her home stood until the passage of last year’s Hurricane Idalia, Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Horseshoe Beach, Fla. In July, nearly a year after the storm that upended her and her husband’s lives, Bregenzer has finally found hope. Her family was approved for a program that will help them build a new home, and if all goes as planned, they’ll move into a stilted two-bedroom house on their lot by year’s end.
To live along the coast in a time of climate change is to contend with increasing vulnerabilities. Seas are rising and warming up, eroding coastlines, intensifying storms and making floods a more frequent occurrence. Horseshoe residents say they are proud of strong community bonds and sunsets that paint the sky brilliant hues. Homes approaching $1 million are interspersed with some as low as $50,000. Historically, it’s a place where a blue collar worker could live by the sea.
Hurricane Hermine in 2016, and before that, the so-called Storm of the Century in 1993, caused widespread damage. People sold their properties. Some houses went up on stilts. In 1993, Tina Brotherton lost her marina and the cafe next door, and had to replace the floors and beds at her inn. Most of the damaged buildings were on the waterfront, she recalled.Brotherton, 88, said she doesn’t plan to rebuild this time.
“It’s better for me at my age to get somebody who can pull me out of here and move me to another area,” she said, while at her side snoozed Katy the cat and Kelly the dog laid at her feet.
General News FL State Wire Florida Climate And Environment U.S. News A N U.S. News
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hurricane Beryl strengthens as it continues track to the westMeteorologist Chita Craft is tracking the first hurricane of the Atlantic hurricane season.
Read more »
Hurricane Beryl strengthens to ‘extremely dangerous’ Category 4 hurricaneThe powerful hurricane is taking aim at the Windward Islands and is forecast to track towards the Gulf of Mexico
Read more »
Hurricane Beryl Makes History as Earliest Category 4 Atlantic Hurricane on RecordHurricane Beryl is the strongest Atlantic hurricane reached so early in the calendar year. Hurricane strikes this early in the season are virtually unheard of when hit Grenada Monday in the Lesser Antilles.
Read more »
Beryl remains a powerful, dangerous category 4 hurricane, starts trek across CaribbeanHurricane Beryl continues to be a powerful and very dangerous category 4 hurricane Monday.
Read more »
Hurricane Beryl's unprecedented nature explained, and what's next for the record hurricaneHurricane Beryl is the first major hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season and broke records over the weekend, reaching Category 4 strength. Here's what's next.
Read more »
Hurricane Beryl's unprecedented nature explained, and what's next for the record hurricaneHurricane Beryl is the first major hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season and broke records over the weekend, reaching Category 4 strength. Here's what's next.
Read more »