Florida More Vulnerable Than Ever To Catastrophe

Two million more people have taken up residence in Florida since a hurricane last hit in 2005. That growth, concentrated along coastal areas likeliest to be washed away by a storm, means the state is in many ways more vulnerable than ever to catastrophic damage from a tropical hurricane. As another hurricane season gets under way today, emergency managers fear Florida’s newcomers are ignorant to the dangers of hurricanes and veteran residents are afflicted by complacency after an unprecedented storm drought.