I'm not from Florida but live in a South where it is warm. Florida has many advantages which is why it is so popular. No state income tax, homestead exemptions, election recounts, etc.

Having lived with hurricanes for most of my life, the most important things are to use common sense and ask people that have lived there during the storms. Does it flood? How often? How close are trees to your residence? How easy is it to evacuate? etc. If you're a mobile homer, make sure you are mobile if a storm approaches. From experience, most of the devastation occurs within a mile of the water due to storm surge. After Katrina, most homes inland survived although flooding did occur. Nothing survived on the beach. It is nice having an ocean view but the risk is always there.

I understand Florida has some of the toughest building codes in the country because of the storms. Lots of new developments right on the water. Hopefully we won't see another Katrina to test those codes. Regardless of where you go, there are fears - earthquakes, tornados, floods, meteors, etc. Thats why insurance is available.

HTH

R