Cheaper than replacing your house out of your bank account, sure. But after back-to-back storm surges on Florida's western coast, expect flood insurance rates outside of Zone X to skyrocket in the next year or two.
For example, in Aug 2023, in zip codes 33629 and 33606, there were 6,078 policies at a median risk-based cost of $25,477,480.32. Those two zip codes cover the Bayshore Drive and ritzy areas just west of downtown Tampa, and if you've ever driven that stretch of Hillsborough County, you know the property values there are astronomically higher than $25 million.
Now the kicker -- the actual premiums paid were SIGNIFICANTLY less! $7,373,352 or less than a third of what the actual risk-based premium should have been.
There's no possible way to sustain flood insurance at those rates compared to the risks involved. Our favorite mythical family of four from Colorado, along with just about everyone else not living in Flood Zone A, are subsidizing those ridiculously low flood insurance rates and will continue to do so until legislation puts some fiscal teeth in the program.
But I don't want to make this an off-topic discussion of how screwed up flood insurance is -- if you live in 33629 or 33606, get out of town, like yesterday!
According to the FL 511 website, northbound I-75 left shoulder use is authorized for evacuations from Tampa to I-10.
. If you go on a few of the trip report sites and read peoples accounts from hurricanes in the 2000s it seemed to be a pretty common thing, some even going as far as to say they have tunnels connecting all hotels for emergencies, which of course is a massive fib!
