Don't move to Florida?

[timo2]

The main human impact of climate change I see is the migration of human beings, as they move from places that are less habitable to places that are more habitable. We are already seeing this in the Middle east and Africa. Lots of wars over resources and people trying to lock the door behind them already going on. Eventually it will come to our neighborhood. Will Florida become one of those less habitable places in the distant future?

 

[RAE]

^^^^ Wow! So, what are the good things about living in Florida, besides the alligators, roaches, heat, humidity, destructive storms, over crowded, crime and murders etc.??

Speaking only for myself, I would not want to live in Florida year-round, but I do spend the winter months there, and that suits me just fine. Then we come back home to Michigan for about 7 months, and that's great too. I have no desire to spend the winters in Michigan anymore, just as I have no desire to spend summers in Florida. I have not found any perfect place to live in this country, year-round, and I doubt that one exists.

 

[RAE]

You will see more dramatic climate change in your lifetime based on the movement of the North and South Poles before you see climate change based on CO2 emissions.

Can you explain what you mean by this? Not sure I follow.

 

[RAE]

Driving in Florida is as bad as it gets in the US (Atlanta comes close).

What part of Florida are you talking about? I tried to drive through Atlanta last April, and I will never do it again, if I can help it. In fact, I hope to never come within at least 100 miles of Atlanta in the future, if I can avoid it. Horrendous, congested mess.

 

[timo2]

Can you explain what you mean by this? Not sure I follow.

He is referring to this. But there is no clue as to when it will happen, because it is measured in geologic time: "But as Alanna Mitchell shows in her new book, The Spinning Magnet, it wasn’t always that way. Indeed, as little—in geologic time, anyway—as 780,000 years ago, the poles reversed. It may be about to happen again, some scientists believe, with potentially disastrous results for life on Earth. (Why it's not time to panic yet about the magnetic field flip.)"

https://news.nationalgeographic.com...d-flip-poles-spinning-magnet-alanna-mitchell/

 

[Amethyst]

From palm Beach Co south is a horrific congested mess. But so are DC and NoVa, and at least FL is built on a grid pattern instead of higgledy-piggledy.

What part of Florida are you talking about? I tried to drive through Atlanta last April, and I will never do it again, if I can help it. In fact, I hope to never come within at least 100 miles of Atlanta in the future, if I can avoid it. Horrendous, congested mess.

 

[marko]

You will see more dramatic climate change in your lifetime based on the movement of the North and South Poles...

I'll have to add that to my list of doom! (see post #9)

 

[MichaelB]

What part of Florida are you talking about? I tried to drive through Atlanta last April, and I will never do it again, if I can help it. In fact, I hope to never come within at least 100 miles of Atlanta in the future, if I can avoid it. Horrendous, congested mess.

From Chicago to South Florida, Palm Beach county Florida and south is the worst, Atlanta is second. I’m not referring only to congestion but also bad and dangerous driving. We have close friends in South Miami and we’ve stopped visiting them on weekdays and evenings, I-95 is just too crazy.

 

[Amethyst]

Yes, since the economic recovery, Miami Dade has gotten even more crowded; there is simply no place for all the drivers to go. So they either sit in place for lengthy periods or pull crazy stunts.

From Chicago to South Florida, Palm Beach county Florida and south is the worst, Atlanta is second. I’m not referring only to congestion but also bad and dangerous driving. We have close friends in South Miami and we’ve stopped visiting them on weekdays and evenings, I-95 is just too crazy.

 

[Winemaker]

Can you explain what you mean by this? Not sure I follow.

^^^ While the magnetic poles have flipped direction several times, we are not entirely sure how how that would effect modern man. Proof of this flipping is found by examining the alignment of iron bearing rock formations. As sediment or igneous rocks are formed, the iron molecules align with the current magnetic field, and are frozen in time with that alignment. Examination of those rocks today show their subsequent movement in terms of plate tectonics. But while this may or may not be important, this was not necessarily the threat I was referring to. But the magnetic Poles are moving at a 35 mile/year pace toward Russia, but not the polarity.

The true geographic North and South poles, the poles, or axis, that the Earth rotates on, also moves ever so slightly. As the surface of the Earth changes to tectonics, earthquakes, the magnetic core, the oceans, all affect the mass of the planet. Imagine the rotation of a spinning top, with a molten iron core, then glue/tape a small weight or cut out a divit on your top. The resulting top will not spin on the same axis, changing the angle of inclination. While I do remember this from my old college geology days, there was a show on the Science channel the other evening, that reminded me of the fact. The show stated that the area of the India/Himalayas is rapidly gaining mass.

That would have a more profound affect on the climate than a gas that is 400 parts per 1,000,000 parts in our atmosphere.

 

[Aerides]

I-95 is just too crazy.

I'm in Palm Beach County, but I avoid i-95 unless for short trips where it can truly make sense. If I have to go through Broward or MD, I'm taking the turnpike even if it's a little out of the way, and then using the express lanes through Miami, no matter the cost.

I only go to MD for MIA, but it's an adventure in driving every time.

 

[misshathaway]

Let me be the first to welcome you to Florida. It's my permanent residence, and my posts are supportive of tourism and people moving in.



The hurricanes are real. Not frequent, but nasty, and everybody gets crazy. That is, crazier than usual.

Thank you. I am small and quiet. You will never even know I'm there.

 

[LRDave]

In the interest of full disclosure.

What about the TERMITES! We forgot to mention those. They eat your home in record time these days and are the size of roaches.

Our Florida Immigration policy also obviously needs reform, there should be better requirements for entry and residency. I am all for a points system, total Net Worth, health report, Police & FBI Background checks and an IQ test. We only want the best of geriatrics here. The rest of them should go to Alabama, they will take anyone there, and I hear it is even cheaper.

The quote is: "There are two kinds of houses in Florida (or insert your state of choice....): those that have termites or those that are going to get termites."

 

[ShokWaveRider]

All, do not feel so bad, the title of the thread is "Don't Move to Florida" implying there are lots of reasons to share why not to. So it is OK to get imaginative or stretch the truth a little. LOL

We are in St. Johns County (NE) our traffic is fine until you get to JAX. or past Titusville and the Cape to the South. I4 West is a Zoo to Orlando and Tampa. The whole of the West coast from Tampa down to Naples is unbearable from a traffic perspective. We looked there several times as we just love Sarasota, but cannot tolerate the crowds in season anywhere on the West Coast.

 

[GravitySucks]

I prefer to remain one of those tourists visiting in the crowded season clogging the roads by not knowing where the hell I'm going.

Visited Ft. Lauderdale this last February for a short week. We used Uber instead of renting. Much cheaper and easier than renting. Didn't have to designated a driver, didn't worry about getting lost, learned a few things from the drivers

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I prefer to remain one of those tourists visiting in the crowded season clogging the roads by not knowing where the hell I'm going.

There are Tourists and Snowbirds, very different. The Historic Downtown is always full of tourists. That is a good thing. They are well mannered for the most part, eclectic, artistic and into history. We really like our tourists and a lot even say hello to others when walking around town. It is nice to see where they come from.

Even during Bike week in Daytona, the "smarter" bikers come up to see the sights. Never heard of any trouble or issues. It is great to go and look at the bikes around the town square.

We do like visiting Sarasota and St. Almands Circle, but always come home exhausted from negotiating the masses, waiting 2 hours to get a seat at a restaurant etc.

We have "Call Ahead" seating here, not so many of the tourists know about that and it is great for booking a nice place to eat and turn up 5 mins or less before one gets seated. Local knowledge does help.

 

[LimaPop]

I lived in central FL for 6 years.... fun at first but oppressive weather, crowds and attitudes.... never again for me.

 

[Amethyst]

What is the difference with snowbirds? I mean I know snowbirds hang around much longer than tourists, but is there a difference in behavior?

There are Tourists and Snowbirds, very different. The Historic Downtown is always full of tourists. That is a good thing. They are well mannered for the most part, eclectic, artistic and into history. We really like our tourists and a lot even say hello to others when walking around town. It is nice to see where they come from.

.

 

[Ronstar]

^ As far as I can tell, snowbirds live their lives similar to the full time residents. Tourists act like they are on vacation- because they are.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

What is the difference with snowbirds? I mean I know snowbirds hang around much longer than tourists, but is there a difference in behavior?

Where we are they only stay for the Weekend, do not even try to act as locals, appreciate everything they experience, and do not try to bring their life from home with them.

 

[FreeBear]

What part of Florida are you talking about? I tried to drive through Atlanta last April, and I will never do it again, if I can help it. In fact, I hope to never come within at least 100 miles of Atlanta in the future, if I can avoid it. Horrendous, congested mess.

One word: Orlando! Easter holiday Disney traffic was horrendous! The Waze GPS ap had us bushwacking the back road directly outside the hotel to avoid a notoriously bad intersection. We have relatives near here and we love escaping the frozen north, so will just have to suck it up.



Agreed re Atlanta traffic. Has grown much worse over the last 15 yrs. we've my the drive to FL. After this year's nightmare, we've decided to take the long, but scenic route through AL.

 

[nhcycling]

Plus the Law of Reversalism in Florida is actively encouraged. If you have grey hair (even if you color it), you have the God Given Right to back up your car without looking. It's important to practice as often as possible.

Lol - my dad (rest his soul) used to have me park at the side of the Publix lot because he said the old people didn’t look when they back out of parking spaces

 

[Corporateburnout]

I think umbrella liability coverage doesn't work that way. For UM, at least in Florida, you need a rider on your auto policy.

For us the rider is on our umbrella policy. Our underlying auto policy has 100k/300k bodily injury coverage for UM but we have an additional 1 million in excess UM with our umbrella insurer.

 

[GravitySucks]

There are Tourists and Snowbirds, very different. The Historic Downtown is always full of tourists. That is a good thing. They are well mannered for the most part, eclectic, artistic and into history. We really like our tourists and a lot even say hello to others when walking around town. It is nice to see where they come from.

Even during Bike week in Daytona, the "smarter" bikers come up to see the sights. Never heard of any trouble or issues. It is great to go and look at the bikes around the town square.

We do like visiting Sarasota and St. Almands Circle, but always come home exhausted from negotiating the masses, waiting 2 hours to get a seat at a restaurant etc.

We have "Call Ahead" seating here, not so many of the tourists know about that and it is great for booking a nice place to eat and turn up 5 mins or less before one gets seated. Local knowledge does help.

I have always enjoyed visiting your little historic city. On my list for next January's get away.

 

[omni550]

Lol - my dad (rest his soul) used to have me park at the side of the Publix lot because he said the old people didn’t look when they back out of parking spaces

My bro-in-law saw a 4-car accident in one of the interior aisles of a Publix parking lot.

I still can't figure that one out.

omni