After back-to-back hurricanes devastated Florida’s Gulf Coast last year, residents of this artsy waterfront city are facing wrenching choices: demolish, rebuild to costly flood-resistant codes, or walk away from homes that defined their community’s charm, The New York Times reported.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which struck within weeks of each other, left a trail of destruction across the state. In Gulfport, a city of about 12,000 near Tampa Bay, nearly 100 homes were deemed “substantially damaged” under federal flood insurance rules. That triggered requirements to either elevate houses to modern standards or tear them down. For many, the cost was overwhelming.
“The locals are disappearing,” said Nancy Poucher, 70, an artist whose mustard-colored bungalow was flooded beyond repair. Unable to afford the six-figure cost of elevating her home, she and her husband sold the property at a loss to a developer.
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