Hurricane Wilma (2005)
Wilma made landfall just south of Naples, Florida, as a Category 3 hurricane, producing widespread wind damage in southern Florida.
Charley, Frances, Jeanne and Ivan pounded Florida in 2004, followed by Dennis, Katrina andWilma in the historic 2005 hurricane season. Ritapassed south of the Florida Keys that year, but did produce significant storm surge flooding in Key West.
Living On Borrowed Time?
With such a long period of time - nearly 9 years - since Florida's last landfalling hurricane, a number of factors have developed to leave Florida vulnerable for "the next one."
The first is a changing population. As reported by USA Today, U.S. Census population data indicates that as many as 1 million people have moved to Florida since Wilma's landfall in 2005. That's potentially 1 million people who are inexperienced with the impacts of hurricanes and tropical storms and lack the experience boarding up a home, cleaning out a flooded home or battling mandatory evacuation traffic.
But even long-time residents of Florida may be susceptible to a different threat: the threat of complacency.
"Complacency is just a dumb excuse people use to say I'm not worried, I'm not going to get ready," Craig Fugate, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told the Sun Sentinel in 2013. "The price of living in paradise is to get prepared and quit using excuses."
After nearly a decade hurricane-free, it is easy for Florida's residents to forget the importance, as well as the time and financial resources it takes, of being prepared for a landfalling hurricane. But just because a hurricane hasn't affected Florida in years doesn't mean a hurricane will never impact the state again.
The reality is that all Florida residents should continue to prepare for the next one, no matter if it shows up in this year or in 10 years. Florida's lucky hurricane-free streak will certainly end. It's just a matter of time.