Climate journalist Mike Grunwald examines how Florida's policy decisions and deregulation under former Governor Rick Scott dismantled development oversight prior to Hurricane Ian.
Opinion
Cape Coral's low elevation makes it unsuitable for 200,000 residents
“And so the place was always, you know, not only in harm's way, but with these canals to carry the storm throughout the city when it does come incredibly low-lying, incredibly wet just not the kind of place where you should put 200,000 humans.”
Opinion
Florida's coastal development model operates as an ecological Ponzi scheme
“And so that's what I mean by this ecological Ponzi scheme, where eventually, kind of, the bill comes due, and Hurricane Ian is one of those moments where suddenly we've put twenty million people in harm's way, And the harm arrived.”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Cape Coral was developed with literally zero urban planning
“It's like a peninsula jutting off the peninsula, and Cape Coral literally had, like, no planning.”
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Cape Coral will be rebuilt after Hurricane Ian without soul searching
“You know, I don't think there will be a lot of soul searching about, you know, do we belong here? Does a place like Cape Coral, you know, should it be rebuilt? It's going to be rebuilt.”
Prediction Held up
Florida will ask Washington to pay for disaster recovery, and likely succeed
“And now, of course, we see the consequences, and the consequences will be Florida's gonna put its hand out and ask Washington, D.C. To pay for all this, and probably they will.”
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Florida will not force mass climate retreat for South Florida residents
“We built here, you know, we're not gonna tell 200,000 people to leave Cape Coral. We're not gonna tell ten million people to leave South Florida.”