October 16, 2024 — Ixora, tropical flowering shrubs in the geranium family, are hurricane champions. Not only do the bright orange blossom clusters attract butterflies and bloom year round in Florida, these plants are resistant to diseases, deer grazing and are drought tolerant. It appears in the photo to the left that the blossoms are more resilient to high hurricane winds compared with the adjacent canopy that recently collapsed during Hurricane Milton. Nature somehow has something like super glue in keeping the flowers intact in winds over 100 mph. The orange flowers are symbols that Nature can be protective from fierce storms.
Many lost their human-built homes in older neighborhoods that never experienced flooding. In Florida, after Hurricane Andrew badly hit Southern Florida in 1992, the State Building Code was overhauled to require rebuilt houses, schools and other buildings to be fortified from future heavy-duty hurricanes. In 2004, Hurricane Charley surprised the forecasters and turned into the warm waters of Charlotte Harbor and a similar surprise again happened two years ago with Hurricane Ian. The City of Punta Gorda, Fl. located at the head of Charlotte Harbor was demolished by Hurricane Charley. The buildings were rebuilt to become hurricane resistant in compliance with the State Building Code. When Hurricane Ian came storming into Punta Gorda almost 20 years later, there was certainly damage but the building and infrastructure were less catastrophic and recovery was generally faster within the City of Punta Gorda.
Sometimes Nature can be geographically protective. Inlets between barrier islands naturally flush and clean bays and can reduce hurricane surge elevations both in the bays and onto adjacent land from free flow-and-ebb with the ocean. Midnight Pass between Casey and Siesta Keys closed with sand after a major storm in the 1980’s. Hurricane Helene reopened Midnight Pass and subsequent Hurricane Milton blew it wide open (see photo below). After permitting failures for the last forty years with a renewed effort for permitting by Sarasota County government before the recent hurricanes, Nature has spoken by reopening Midnight Pass with social celebratory media from boaters, kayakers and beachgoers.
Survival and recovery are difficult for us humans. It is definitely quakes our mental stability when our home safety is breached and our personal worries about the economic costs of recovery and rebuilding our lives. But the Ixora blossoms remind me of Survival Floridians showing their best beautiful selves in being kind to others and willing to help their suffering neighbors.