Stuff is built differently in places where hurricanes are common. Building standards are more strict, especially after Andrew, and adverse weather is a consideration when things are built (for instance, chain link fences are incredibly common rather than wood fences). Same with the landscaping - branches break, trees completely falling is rare because generally sturdier trees with deeper roots are chosen, and are planted well away from the house. A lot of power lines are buried - it’s more resilient to bad weather (even the afternoon thunderstorms in Florida can occasionally be just as nasty as the thunderstorms that caused so much damage at your place) and long term it’s cheaper than replacing the power lines every summer. And you kinda get used to being without power for a few hours (or even a few days to a week) after really bad hurricanes or thunderstorms. I’ve done homework by kerosene lamp more than once as a kid, and I’m in my 30s. My family played a lot of board games during the long power outages. Eventually my family, and a lot of others, invested in a generator, they’re fairly common now. My dad had a chainsaw and mostly dealt with the fallen trees himself.
But I’ve never learned how to tow a car out out the ditch, but many of my friends here in Minnesota do know how - different places require different skill sets. Learning how to deal with a furnace and radiator has been interesting.
Also, in hindsight, a direct eyewall hit or worse of a category 3+ hurricane is so pants shittingly terrifying that nobody sane continues living there after experiencing one.
Stuff is built differently in places where hurricanes are common. Building standards are more strict, especially after Andrew, and adverse weather is a consideration when things are built (for instance, chain link fences are incredibly common rather than wood fences). Same with the landscaping - branches break, trees completely falling is rare because generally sturdier trees with deeper roots are chosen, and are planted well away from the house. A lot of power lines are buried - it’s more resilient to bad weather (even the afternoon thunderstorms in Florida can occasionally be just as nasty as the thunderstorms that caused so much damage at your place) and long term it’s cheaper than replacing the power lines every summer. And you kinda get used to being without power for a few hours (or even a few days to a week) after really bad hurricanes or thunderstorms. I’ve done homework by kerosene lamp more than once as a kid, and I’m in my 30s. My family played a lot of board games during the long power outages. Eventually my family, and a lot of others, invested in a generator, they’re fairly common now. My dad had a chainsaw and mostly dealt with the fallen trees himself.
But I’ve never learned how to tow a car out out the ditch, but many of my friends here in Minnesota do know how - different places require different skill sets. Learning how to deal with a furnace and radiator has been interesting.
Also, in hindsight, a direct eyewall hit or worse of a category 3+ hurricane is so pants shittingly terrifying that nobody sane continues living there after experiencing one.