A climate reckoning for US housing: Too many homes in harm's way, 'too many zeros' in the costs
More than a month has passed since Hurricane Ian struck the country, killing at least 119 and potentially causing more than $100 billion in damages. Many survivors are now facing a gut-wrenching question.
Should I stay or should I go?
In the aftermath of such natural disasters, residents and politicians alike often declare they will stay and rebuild. For Ian, that message is coming all the way from the top.
"The key here is building back better and stronger to withstand the next storm," President Joe Biden said in September as he surveyed damage in Fort Myers, Florida, alongside Governor Ron DeSantis.
But inevitably, some residents will throw up their hands and walk away. Others plan to hedge, like Cindy Smith, a North Port, Florida resident who told a reporter she'd buy a mobile home after her home was flooded out by Ian. “That way I can flee,” she reasoned.