2016-069V - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

occurred near the coast from Winter Beach to Vero Beach and Florida Ridge. Twenty seven manufactured homes and two single family homes were damaged by water intrusion and 20 roads were temporarily closed due to standing water during the height of the flooding. For many years, the risk of significant loss of life and property due to hurricanes seemed small. Many, if not the majority of existing homes and business along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts were located there during the 1970's and 1980's, a period of relatively inactive hurricane formation. Most of the people currently living and working in coastal areas have never experienced the impact of a major hurricane. Hurricanes that impacted Florida during the 1970's and 80's were infrequent and of relatively low intensity. Homeowners, business interest, and government officials grew to regard hurricane risk as manageable by private insurance supplemented occasionally by Federal disaster funding and subsidized flood insurance. The hurricane risk did not seem sufficient to warrant increased investment in mitigation. Two major hurricanes, Hugo in 1989 and Andrew in 1992, forced a re-evaluation of this risk assessment. While experts sometimes disagree on the annual cost, all sources agree that Hurricane Andrew was the most costly hurricane event ever to affect the U.S. Insured losses from Hurricane Andrew topped $17 billion, and most sources agree that the total cost of Hurricane Andrew exceeded $25 billion. Florida is the most vulnerable state in the nation to the impacts of hurricanes and tropical storms. South Central Florida is particularly exposed to the dangers presented by hurricanes due to its topography. The region is largely a flat, low-lying plain. The potential for property damage and human casualties in Indian River County has been increased by the rapid growth of the County over the last few decades, particularly along the coastline. Population risk also has been exacerbated by some complacency due to the recent period of reduced hurricane frequency. Florida not only has the most people at risk from hurricanes, but it also has the most coastal property exposed to these storms. Over the 30 -year period from 1980-2010, Florida's population increased by 93%. At the end of 2008, there were 6.389 million residential risks, including 4.5 million of those Indian River County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan Basic Page 23