What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word Florida? Warm weather, Disney World, the ocean, vacation, beautiful beaches? What about endless cockroaches and lizards, relentless humidity, and delusional conspirators everywhere? (Hsiung). Florida is not as perfect as most people believe, in fact, you have a 1 in 31 chance of becoming a victim of a property crime in Florida (Crime Rates for Florida). The high crime rate, overpopulation, dangerous wildlife, and weather conditions are the four leading reasons to avoid permanently residing in Florida. Florida’s annual crime rate is one that tops many charts. There are 94,087 violent crimes per year. There are also 632,988 property crimes annually, resulting in a total of 727,075 …show more content…
The open space is vanishing. The highways are clogged with polluting traffic jams, and every day, 860 acres of its forests and farmland are lost to development. In the early 1940s, the Florida population was a mere two million. By 1990, the state’s population had reached just under 13 million. By 2000, the state was home to about 16 million permanent residents, a 23 percent increase in ten years. According to the Census Bureau, Florida adds about 750 people every day of the year. On top of that, since 1990, not a single county in Florida has had a large decrease in population. If this current population trend stays, then in 2030, Florida’s population would be at a staggering 25 million (Bouvier, Leon). Additionally, the many citizens of Florida are faced with dangerous …show more content…
The most common weather hazards faced in Florida are hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, floods, waterspouts, rip-currents, high temperatures, and lightning during thunderstorms. Florida averages 1.4 million cloud-to-ground lightning strikes annually, earning the title “Lightning Capital of the United States” easily. Florida has more thunderstorms than anywhere else in the United States and North America. All thunderstorms are considered dangerous because they contain lightning and can produce damaging winds, heavy rain which may cause flooding, tornadoes, and hail. The marine weather conditions are usually fine and calm, but can change suddenly. Rip currents are especially dangerous because they can pull unprepared swimmers away from shore and into deeper offshore waters. Hurricanes and tropical storms can bring very dangerous weather to areas near the coast, including strong winds, storm surge and coastal flooding, flooding from heavy rain, and tornadoes. For those away from the immediate coastline, inland flooding and tornadoes are often the most hazardous impacts from these systems (“Hazardous Weather: A Florida Guide”). With weather added, all of the negative issues should give you plenty of reasons to avoid permanently living in
I have been to Florida a billion times, but there are only two places that I normally visit. Sanibel Island and Destin. Traveling to Sanibel Island is almost like a tradition for my family because every year we try to go down there. My grandparents first went to Sanibel with my whole family (cousins and all) about 15 years ago and ever since then, it has been our family’s main “vacation spot”. I have gone to Sanibel almost every year, but last year I also went to Destin. Now the main reason we decided to go there as well is because we wanted to travel somewhere nearby the panhandle of Florida. The water and beaches are also very contrasting in comparison to Sanibel. Sanibel’s beaches even had heaps of sea shells going out into the water. The sand is also more dense than that of Destin. Even Sanibel’s water is darker and more cloudy, so it was crazy to see Destin’s water so clear! The beach (which is called Emerald Cove, where I stayed at) had sand that was so white and soft it
In American history the adjective used to describe the 1920s is known as the “Roaring” twenties. During the decade Florida had its own adjective used to describe the real estate market known as the “Land Boom”. The Florida land boom of the 20s was Florida’s first big real estate bubble. During the great land boom of the 20th century Florida saw tens of thousands of Americans flood to the state to move or purchase land. By looking at the how this development of real estate began, who was affected, and how the “Boom” became a soft clap by the end of the decade one can see the immediate impact this event had on the United States.
Living life to the fullest in California is exciting and fun. Everyone can find their hobby and discover new ones every day. It allows all people from all backgrounds to explore the unimagined. Living in Florida may be fun for a while, but it is not the place for opportunity. California brings everything to the table. Living in California allows one to truly live life. After all, “adventure is out there.” –Russell ( The movie Up from Disney)
Regaldo, Nanciann. Planning for South Florida's future: The Central and Southern Florida Project. Online. National Park Service Homepage. Internet. 21 September 1999. Available: www.nps.gov
During the early 1920s, Florida was flourishing economically. Land sales were reaching planetary heights, tourism was booming, and new residents were coming in every day. By September 1926, the population of Dade County and the new City of Miami had blossomed to more than 100,000 and construction was all over. Although Florida was prosperous that was only on the surface, behind the scenes there existed a widespread of poverty. And things got even worst when the 1926 hurricane hit Florida. The hurricane was described by the U.S. Weather Bureau in Miami as "probably the most destructive hurricane ever to strike the United States." Severe flooding and wind damage weakened communities. Lake Okeechobee flooded and drown over 2,000 people in nearby communities. Many buildings that were a work in progress were damaged and discontinued, tourism was at an all-time low, and also many citizens lost their homes. And The Great Depression didn’t make things any easier. Florida was in trouble and in need of help.
Zero Population Growth. The Central Oregon Chapter of Zero Population Growth. 16 February 2000 <http://www.envirocenter.org/groups/zeropop/zeropop.html>.
Hutton-Woodland, M. (2013). Florida Action Coalition proud recipient of a SIP Grant from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Retrieved from http://campaignforaction.org/state/florida
While Miami is experiencing some hard times during the past years, it is still a city full of life and opportunity. Cultures come together in Miami like a city unlike no other. It has the fame and glamor, but still suffers from poverty and corruption. It provides many of opportunities for people, especially those coming from Latin America. While Miami is still one of the biggest cities in the United States, I believe it will continue to survive and reclaim its title as the “Magic City”.
...ial Plantations and Economy in Florida ed. Jane Landers (Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2000). 136-149.
Florida became a state in 1845 and almost immediately people began proposing to drain the Everglades. In 1848, a government report said that draining the Everglades would be easy, and there would be no bad effect. Canals and dams were dug to control seasonal flooding. Farmers grew vegetables in the rich soil of the drained land, Ranchers had their cattle graze on the dry land, and new railways lines were constructed to connect communities throughout south Florida; but the ecosystem of the Everglades was not suited for either farming or ranching. The natural cycle of dry and wet seasons brought a devastating series of droughts and floods. These had always been a p...
Florida is known for various things but we are most famously known for our bodies of Water and our Agriculture, while our state is known for this we do have and see issues surrounding this in the near future. Florida currently has a problem with our water management; though Florida is the Sunshine State, we have a lot of rain, and this rain becomes an issue when it overflows into man-made sewer drains, this runoffs into our drains and into our oceans, and then starts to leak into our groundwater, carrying pesticides and other dangerous substances into our drinking water and other unwanted places. 90% of the pesticides in our groundwater can result from only one inch of rainwater. When a high level of pesticides enters the aquifer, the quality
Growth in a state is a sign of maturity and prosperity. Too much growing in a state can cause the reverse effect. Florida appears to be growing at a rapid rate and there's not much to do but sit back and watch. Florida has to be able to handle the growing of population, transportation, and environment. Florida is growing fast and the necessary needs and funds to keep up do not appear to be in the local governments' hands.
In the hurricane the mixture of the water and winds can be extremely damaging. The winds are extremely dangerous and usually don’t go faster than about 75 miles per hour but have been documented to go as fast as 85 miles per hour. Due to the fact that hurricanes need water to survive they cannot go too far on land, but that does not stop them from causing billions of dollars in damages. Hurricanes are so dangerous that they were listed number 1 on the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Hazard and Disasters list.
The U.S. Department of Labor (2011) reported the national average of unemployment for 2008 was 5.8 percent. The rate dramatically increased in 2009 with an average of 9.3 percent and 9.6 percent for 2010. While unemployment rates have increased, the FBI’s preliminary reports for 2010 show that law enforcement agencies across the U.S. have reported a decrease of 6.2 percent in the number of violent crimes for the first 6 months of 2010 when compared to figures reported for the same time in 2009. The violent crime category includes rape, murder, robbery, and aggravated result. The number of property crimes also decreased 2.8 percent when compared to the same time last year. Property crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. Arson decreased 14.6 percent when compared to the same time periods of 2009 (FBI, 2011).