The truth about the storms in Naples, Florida

Hello, Renee Han, your Naples real estate expert. This video is part of a series I call Naples Revealed, where we explore all the various aspects of Naples, Florida living. Be sure to subscribe below to keep up to date on new videos to help familiarize yourself with the Naples area. And of course, reach out anytime if I can be of assistance to you on your journey to explore Naples living. All right, today we're going to talk about storms in Naples. So the truth about storms in the area. First, a disclaimer: while this blog post provides general information about storms in Naples, it is important to consult with your local authorities or meteorologist for the most up-to-date state and specific weather forecasts. So we all know Naples, Florida is renowned for its pristine beaches, luxurious lifestyle, and pleasant climate. However, like any coastal city, it is susceptible to storms. If you're considering a move to Naples, which I hope you are, such a beautiful area, understanding the types of storms you might encounter is crucial, or at least important. Tropical storms and hurricanes, let's start there. So the most significant weather events affecting in our beautiful area of Naples are tropical storms and hurricanes. These storms form over warm ocean waters— I can't talk today— warm ocean waters and can bring heavy rainfall, strong winds, and some storm surge. Do you know what storm surge is? Say that fast 3 times, by the way. It's when there's a surplus of water that comes off of the big body and intrudes the otherwise dry space. So hurricane season officially runs from about June 1st to November 30th. However, it's important to keep in mind that hurricanes can sometimes form outside of this period. Mother Nature doesn't say, "Nope, sorry, it's after November 30th or before June 1st, you are not allowed in our area." I wish it was so, um, but they can occur outside that, that time frame, but they're probably going to be more periodically found within there. Now Now keep in mind that one of the things I really like about the Naples area is it's somewhat insulated. So you've got Cuba, you've got the Bahamas depending on which direction is coming, you've got Marco Island, sorry Marco Island, all of those kind of jut out a little further. And even Fort Myers, if you look at a map, comes out further into the Gulf, whereas Naples is nestled back. So again, we're not, um, you know, I would say less prone to it, but sometimes we've some extra protection. I digress for a moment. Now let's talk about storm surge. So there's a significant concern in coastal areas, as you can imagine, like Naples, with rising sea levels that can be caused by hurricanes and can lead to flooding and property damage. The number of times our town has been negatively affected by storm surges, though, is actually relatively small. However, with the recent one we had with Ian, it's still fresh in the minds of locals and visitors. The thing to keep in mind is if you count back, I think it was like 11 years before that, before there was even a major, major hurricane other than Irma. So Irma and Ian were close together, but two very different storms. Ian was more a water damage storm, Irma was more a windstorm, and we're going to talk about that in a minute. So that brings me to the next one, wind damage. Strong winds can cause downed trees, power outages, and structural damage. So when about Ian and Irma, because those ones were too close together, and before that, again, 11 years in between. Ian affected more people, so a much broader audience had storm damage from Ian, and it was things like downed pool screens, downed roofs. But Irma— sorry, Ian affected a smaller population but was devastating. So again, more of us were affected by Irma wind, but Ian with water, with delivered a devastating blow, not just to those in Naples along the water, but Fort Myers is another one that got hit really, really bad. If we move away from those hurricanes or tropical storms, one last thing I actually do want to mention there. If you think about natural disasters, and I've lived in a lot of places across the United States, when I was in Michigan, I had to think about tornadoes. There was very little notice when a tornado was going to hit. If you're in California, you're worried about forest fires and you're worried about earthquakes. Again, very little notice. So not that I like any natural disaster or storm, but I will tell you, I'll take a hurricane all day long because you know what happens with a hurricane? We get a lot of notice. There is time to plan. You have time to get away from the storm. You can lock things up, you can secure things. There are things you can do in preparation. So no more about that. Thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are common in Naples, especially during the summer months. I actually did a separate segment just about the rain in Naples. They can bring heavy rain, lightning, gusty winds. And one of the things that's kind of different, so I lived in Tampa years back, and Tampa, by the way, is the word for lightning. Their lightning is like a spider web. It spreads across the sky. It's actually quite beautiful. Naples, our lightning is more like bolts that come down. So they can be quite startling. You'll, you'll know on your first storm what I'm talking about. But while these storms are typically short-lived, they can cause some localized flooding and damage. Data on storms in Naples, you know, if you think about that, to provide a better understanding of the frequency and intensity in Naples, we can examine a few things. So Naples experiences on average about 1 to 2 hurricanes per year. That sounds worse than it is. Not every hurricane is newsworthy. Again, however, this can vary from time to time. If you look at hurricane evacuation, the city of Naples does have a well-established hurricane evacuation plan. Residents are often encouraged to prepare emergency kits, follow evacuation orders, and again, not every hurricane results in an evacuation. So there are tropical storms and hurricanes that will blow in where we never end up having to take extreme measures. I mean, now let's think about it from an insurance standpoint. Homeowners and renters insurance policies in Naples often include coverage for hurricane damage. It's essential to review your policy if you're buying here to ensure that you have adequate protection, um, because there are different types of water damage and the insurance company treats them very different. So you may have coverage that covers certain types of water damage, but if you haven't gotten flood insurance, as an example, and you have water damage from a flood from an outside source, that could be handled very, very different. So while some storms can be a concern, many residents of Naples have learned to adapt and mitigate their risks. Here are some, some tips that I would share staying safe during a storm. So having a kit ready with essential supplies like food, water, first aid supplies, and a flashlight is always helpful. One of the things you'll find is when a big storm is getting a lot of visibility and public discussion, you'll see that people will go off to the stores and you'll see toilet paper and other supplies start to deplete. So having a stash on hand is important. Staying updated on weather forecasts and advisories from local authorities, obviously that is really smart. Knowing your evacuation route and where you'll go in case of a mandatory evacuation, having a plan is important. When we evacuated for Irma, we went to see my brother in Mississippi. It was nice. We were able to stop at a hotel. We got a hotel along the way and go on from there. During Ian, we actually stayed in place. Again, we're only 3 miles from the beach, so we were not affected by the surge, and it wasn't as bad as the windstorm part of it that we saw in Irma. So we stayed in place for that one. Consider measures like, you know, having impact windows, storm shutters on your house to to try to minimize or eliminate damage. Overall, again, Naples offers, as we know, a beautiful, enjoyable lifestyle, and all you need to do is being an informed resident, right? By understanding the potential risks associated with storms and taking appropriate precautions, you can minimize the impact and enjoy your time in this beautiful coastal paradise. So that's what I have to say about storms. Again, don't let 'em scare you off. They're somewhat predictable, as predictable as storms can be. You can be planful. There's things you can do in your residence to prepare you long in advance of storms, as well as more temporary measures you can put in place. Be smart, follow directions, understand what to do, take advantage. We have tax savings holidays where you can get tax savings for some of these, some of the hurricane protection, whether it's to your home or just in possession. So that's kind of cool. The governor usually offers that at least once a year. So they don't need to be a deterrent to you. They are a reality of our tropical area, and you should be planful and mindful for those. So join me next time when we tackle another aspect of Naples living. Again, this is Renee Han, your Naples real estate expert, and you can find me at yournaplesexpert.com. Thank you so much and have a fabulous and dry day.