Solutions

Don’t Rebuild The Florida Keys

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Hurricane Irma devastated large portions of the Florida Keys—the 100-mile ribbon of low lying narrow islands connected by bridges to south Florida. The Keys, dense with tourist resorts and beachfront properties, took the full punch of the storm when it first landed as a category 4 hurricane. It is estimated that 25 percent of the 50,000 homes in the Keys were destroyed, and 65 percent sustained major damage.

Boats, cars and other debris clog waterways in the Florida Keys two days after Hurricane Irma slammed into the state on September 12, 2017 in Marathon, Florida. The Federal Emergency Managment Agency has reported that 25% of all homes in the Florida Keys were destroyed and 65% sustained major damage when they took a direct hit from Hurricane Irma.

In the coming weeks, property owners will be scrambling to assess the full scope of the damage. Those lucky enough to have insurance will likely begin rebuilding. The unlucky uninsured might sell their land and leave, and wealthier entrants are sure to jump on the opportunity to buy beachfront property on this coveted strip. There is just one problem in this zeal […]

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