Cedar Key Florida

[soandso]

Just an example of some of the places humans decide to reside and why those places get destroyed in hurricanes. They'll be getting high tide about the time Helene makes landfall.



http://floridanaturecoast.org/County/Levy/CedarKey/CedarKey.aspx

[misanthrope]

1. What ludicrous folly

If you gifted me a waterfront home anywhere on the Gulf of Mexico, I would sell it as soon as the keys touched my palm. What you show there is sadly arrogant and willfully ignorant.

[soandso]

4. Basically sand bars

Barely can be called barrier islands. Often, the most beautiful spots are the dumbest places for humans to settle but they do it all the time and then everyone is mortified when the inevitable happens. Think of all of the other coastal areas that are exactly the same and others where the natural marshlands have been filled in to build. Absolutely crazy.

[LeftInTX]

49. Actually looking at the area, it appears it was originally at higher elevation at one time and sea level rise has

turned it into many small islands. Cedar Key is the largest.
It doesn't have the shape of a barrier island. Probably several thousand years ago, this area was dry and was the Florida coastline.

See all of these little islands? I don't know if there is any surviving vegetation on them. But they aren't barrier type islands. The entire coast of Texas consists of two very long barrier islands! The Texas barrier islands were created by ocean currents over time.

The Cedar Key area is dotted with hundreds of islands and was probably dry land that receded and left a bunch of small raised areas.

I know the Florida Keys are not barrier islands, but actually old coral reefs. Maybe Cedar Key is similar.

[soandso]

50. Archipelago is the correct term

Archipelagos can also form as a result of erosion, sedimentary deposits, rising sea level, and other geographic processes. The Florida Keys are an example of a coral cay archipelago, which form when ocean currents transport sediments that gradually build up on the reef surface.

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/archipelago.html

I looked up some very old photos and maps and it's not only always looked that way but has been inhabited for as long as records exist about it. Harvesting oysters was a big thing there, along with lumber for pencils. Awesome that it's retained it's quaintness through today. They're getting a lot of storm surge, right now, so I hope they recover okay.

[LeftInTX]

52. Just for fun. Here is the approx of the Fl coastline 26,000 years ago

A modern map of Florida shows (with a dark line) the approximate location of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) coastline. Image courtesy of Exploring the Submerged New World 2012 Expedition, NOAA-OER



https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/12newworld/background/sealevel/sealevel.html

It took over 20,000 years for the sea to transition from the LGM shoreline up to the modern coast of Florida. As ocean water covered the ancient landscape from about 26,000 to 5,000 years ago, several distinct and profound changes occurred simultaneously: the landmass of Florida became greatly reduced with significant changes to the contours of the state’s coastlines; the surficial water aquifer and deeper Floridian aquifer became elevated; weather patterns changed; and biotic (i.e., plant and animal) communities rearranged themselves on the landscape, with some species flourishing, others staying the same, and several (like the mastodon) becoming extinct.

[soandso]

53. I live in a place one covered by glaciers

and now we have the Great Lakes, instead. Hard to fathom but I'm glad it warmed up, lol.

[NameAlreadyTaken]

2. Soon to become Cedar Bay?

[soandso]

6. It might be already

I saw some live cam with a bridge there and there was nothing but water and sea spray.

[FloridaBlues]

3. Town evacuated. I can't imagine 10-15ft surge.

We have 5-7 foot surge here in SW Fl. Many tornado warnings going off right now.

[LeftInTX]

37. Cameras from mostly SW Florida. (Looks like from Naples-Tampa)

ETA: They removed the Naples livestream and replaced it with Perry, which is near the Big Bend. It was pretty rough down there considering the distance it was from the storm.

&ab_channel=LivestreamEvents

[True Dough]

5. Are insurance companies

still offering coverage in areas like that? If so, the premiums must be sky high.

[soandso]

8. I don't know

but I don't see how they would. It's not just a risk but a guarantee that places like that will be periodically pounded by violent storms and even under water. The extreme weather is what created Florida, carving it into what it is today, over centuries. That's not gonna change.

[bluesbassman]

11. The problem is in order for the insurance companies to be even remotely affordable, they have to spread the risk around.

In a normal market it mostly evens out over the long run. But over the last couple of decades we've really seen the effects of climate change accelerate and wreak havoc on coastal and woodland areas susceptible to drought and subsequent wildfire and mudslide activity. This has resulted in catastrophic losses for insurers and they are spreading the costs of those losses liberally among the non-affected policy holders, doubling, tripling, and even quadrupling rates to people that have never even filed a claim! Many are refusing to write new policies in states like California, Florida, and Texas that have seen much of the severe claim activity, and some are just quitting those states all together. It's a huge problem and unfortunately I really don't see it being resolved any time soon.

[soandso]

13. Florida has always been like this

but the population and development has exploded so people are living in places with very high risk when it comes to nature doing it's thing. The more people, the more claims and the more insurance will become unaffordable or unavailable.

[Think. Again.]

15. Properties that are too high risk for insurance companies...

...simply shouldn't be covered by insurance companies.

[Deuxcents]

20. I agree. I am not in a flood zone n not at all close to the coast but you wouldn't know it by my insurance rates

[intheflow]

22. Absolutely!

If your FREEDUMB includes buying ocean-front property, you can have the freedom to gamble - really gamble - on your ability to financially survive any natural disaster after your home, car, etc have been wiped out. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that ocean front properties are susceptible to storm surges. This was true even before the climate started to turn. It's always been a stupid investment.

[ProfessorGAC]

34. We Live In A River Town

There are properties nobody buys because insurance companies won't insure against flood damage.
Not sure why they treat FL differently.

[dutch777]

32. Florida wonders why they have an insurance problem becoming a real estate value problem. TX, LA, MS are next.

When places are "pro growth" and developers interests trump rational zoning and planning, here is what we get.

[JanMichael]

40. Re insurers have started backing off

So who knows.

[RubyRose]

48. The premiums went up a lot after Ian. Many insurance

companies went out of business. My flood insurance went up 600 % even though i didn’t make a claim.

[jalan48]

7. I wonder if the "Climate change is a hoax" folks that live there are waking up.

[soandso]

10. Well, that's the nature of Florida

and places like it. Extreme climate has created extreme beauty. Places like Cedar Key should be for birds and whatnot, not houses!

[Alliepoo]

24. I can answer that, Jalen48. Nope. Climate change is liberal bs

And Ron Desantis is awesome. I have to snooze certain people on Facebook because they crap they spew is more than I care to see.

[jalan48]

41. I'm sorry to hear that. You'd think people could connect the dots but the media rarely mentions it during these disasters

It's all about the disaster and the suffering.

[Delphinus]

9. I guess

I have too much respect for the power of the seas (Mother Nature is all her forms really) to ever want to put myself that much at risk.

[Think. Again.]

12. It used to be a beautiful place, looks like it's been destroyed already by humans though.

[2naSalit]

14. I was thinking...

That same thing about high tide and landfall. I was just watching a weather report saying that very thing and talking about unsurvivability in the path of the storm.

[soandso]

16. A lot of places will be submerged

and then they'll rebuild! You have to really love that environment to live like that.

[Phoenix61]

17. I grew up about an hours drive inland of Cedar Key.

We would go there for fresh seafood dinners or to go boating. It really built up over the years. I can’t imagine what will be left.

[soandso]

19. You're a native Floridian?

Kind of rare!

I don't imagine Cedar Key structures are going to withstand this.

[Deuxcents]

21. Pretty sure they won't withstand this one. Helene is breaking all the records n hasn't made landfall yet

[Phoenix61]

33. I am! and you're right, most won't survive.nt

[soandso]

18. Live cams

[Mossfern]

25. Oh my!

They should have gotten out sooner.
The waves going over the highway while I assume people are trying to evacuate is disturbing.

[LeftInTX]

29. The worst of the storm has pretty much passed the areas of the cameras. People are stupid to drive in this weather.

The cameras are in Naples through Sarasota. The storm is already north of Tampa.

[LeftInTX]

26. Those cameras are quite far away from the storm!

Naples is at least 200 miles away. (All the points are to the south and east of the storm)

This was 2.5 hours ago, so the storm is 40 miles further north than this graphic.

[mcar]

23. Cedar Key was populated (by white people) in 1859

It is about 40 miles NW of me. It's a beautiful, historic fishing village. Yes, it has tourist elements, but they, too, are rustic and charming.

And amazing seafood.

It's been populated long before over development and there are no high rises or luxury resorts there. It's a beautiful place that has been nailed by hurricanes over the last couple years because of climate change.

And, a good portion of their main street (dock) that has several restaurants and shops, burned down last weekend - don't know the cause.

Spare some good thoughts for the people whose livelihoods depend on that charming place.

[rambler_american]

30. My wife and I

spent three winters in Cedar Key. I love the town. I have heard it compared to Key West 90 years ago. Quaint, I guess, is as good an adjective as any to describe it. Wonderful works, too. I hope it survives this monster.

[mcar]

31. I hope it does too, but I fear it won't

Last edited Thu Sep 26, 2024, 09:35 PM - Edit history (1)

I abhor the overdevelopment of Florida but Cedar Key isn't on that list.

The disdain for that struggling little village here distresses me. These are not millionaires - they're fisher folk, small business owners. This could be it for them.

[soandso]

38. No disdain

from me. It's a matter of how vulnerable some places are that people choose to live. I understand it's a way of life and it's practically in their DNA. I meant it when I said they'd rebuild.

[JustAnotherGen]

42. No disdain from me

It's just hard to relate to.

[MotownPgh]

36. Really miss old Florida.

I remember when St Pete was quaint. Beach shack bars and restaurants.

[soandso]

39. I'll bet

Isn't a lot of the so called "redneck riviera" still that way?

[MotownPgh]

43. I don't know. Have never been north

of Clearwater. I'm on a self-imposed red state ban now.

[soandso]

44. lol

[OAITW r.2.0]

27. You'd think Florida would be pro-immigration.

They are going to need a lot of them to deal with the effects of climate change over the next 100 years or so.

[radical noodle]

51. Technically, they are

They may complain about immigrants but they sure have no problem hiring them to mow their lawns, trim their bushes, put on their new roofs, and do so many other jobs that must be done here.

[Srkdqltr]

28. If they want to live there i can't feel sorry for them.

I guess it was was fun while it lasted.

[Arne]

35. We have a nice new roof and immense respect for the Mexican crew

that quickly stripped the old shingles.
It is hot dangerous work.

[pecosbob]

45. I grew up on Galveston Island which is basically a big sand bar with a bit of high ground in the center.

It was not uncommon to see new 'cuts' in the island's west Beach area after a storm. Then some fool decided it would be a good thing to sell State beaches to private developers and the cycle of building and destruction began.

[soandso]

46. Live stream from Cedar Key

and it's NOT under water!

[waterwatcher123]

47. Barrier islands are empheral places (they come and go naturally).

These barrier islands are going to be completely reshaped by this one storm.