Monday's Daily Pulse
Snowbirds heading to Florida face hurricane-damaged properties — and looming extra costs for everything
Canada’s snowbirds are once again preparing to make the trek south for the winter, the first “normal” migration since the start of the pandemic — and some are finding their winter nests in disarray. When Hurricane Ian ripped through Florida last month, it left a trail of destruction — an estimated $40-70 billion (U.S.) in damage there and in the Carolinas. [Source: The Star]
DeSantis rewrote the political map in Florida. Will the changes be permanent?
In his victory speech Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said that his victory over Democrat Charlie Crist had “rewritten the political map.” It wasn’t hyperbole. The Republican governor managed to flip eight of the 13 counties he had lost in his first election in 2018 and improved his performance in each of Florida’s 67 counties. [Source: Miami Herald]
Florida COVID cases rising again as BQ subvariants of omicron spread
COVID-19 appears to be on a slight upswing once again in Florida as health officials log increasing numbers of cases each week, but few infections are severe. The state's case count grew by more than 12,000 this week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. That's the highest weekly sum since the last week of September, when new omicron subvariants started spreading nationwide, but much lower than the summer surge fueled by previous versions of omicron. [Source: Florida Times-Union]
NASA will proceed with Artemis I launch
The multibillion-dollar Space Launch System rocket that endured hours of Hurricane Nicole's impacts did sustain minor damages but is still on track for liftoff this week, a seemingly unprecedented turnaround for a brand new vehicle tasked with flying NASA's most important mission in decades. Agency officials on Friday said teams at Kennedy Space Center continue to inspect the massive rocket and its ground support equipment ahead of launch, currently slated for 1:04 a.m. EST Wednesday, Nov. 16. That marks less than a week between Nicole's worst impacts and launch day. [Source: Florida Today]
The benefits of wetlands in Florida
Wetlands make up nearly a third of Florida’s land. You might think it’s swamp land, but they’re actually a defining feature of our natural landscape. Wetlands have a lot of nicknames. Some people call them the kidneys of the landscape, sponges or natural stormwater treatment areas. Whatever you call them, they have innumerable benefits for the Florida ecosystem. [Source: WINK News]
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ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Miami’s star turn in the crypto boom now has an iconic bust: the Heat’s FTX Arena [Miami Herald]
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried got a thumbs up from Miami Mayor Francis Suarez during a joint appearance last year when an interviewer asked the 29-year-old mogul if a crypto company approaching a $25 billion valuation really had the financial staying power to fund the full 19 years on its $130 million sponsorship deal for the city’s basketball arena. What a difference 18 months can make.
As Season of Sharing launches new campaign, need is high in Sarasota and Manatee counties [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
For many local residents, the last several years have felt like a three-punch knockout. Just as the region was still reeling from the pandemic and the housing crisis, Hurricane Ian hit. Through it all, caseworkers say, residents have had a constant source of support: Season of Sharing. As its 22nd annual fundraising campaign kicks off today, Season of Sharing’s role in the community is more important than ever.
› Hurricane Nicole left ‘broken dreams’ in scenic Wilbur-By-The-Sea [Orlando Sentinel]
Beach erosion from Hurricane Nicole toppled swimming pools, walls, rooms, staircases and backyards down to the beach, with some of the wreckage washed into the ocean, along a normally scenic stretch of beachfront Wilbur-By-The-Sea, a community wedged between Daytona Beach Shores and Ponce Inlet. About 24 hours after the remnants of the storm left the area behind, owners who left under mandatory evacuation orders returned to find what was left of dream homes and vacation spots.
› The Florida Council of 100 elects Eric Silagy as Chair, Senator George LeMieux as Vice Chair [Florida Trend]
The Florida Council of 100 announced the election of new officers at their Fall Conference in Palm Beach. Florida Power & Light’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Eric Silagy was named as Chair of the Council, succeeding Syd Kitson. Senator George LeMieux, who is Chair of the business law firm Gunster, will serve as the Council’s Vice Chair.
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› Pattillo plans 1.5 million-square-foot industrial park in Wildlight [Jacksonville Daily Record]
Pattillo Industrial Real Estate announced Nov. 11 it will develop a 1.5 million-square-foot industrial complex in the Wildlight mixed-use, master-planned community in Nassau County. Wildlight, at northeast Interstate 95 and Florida A1A/200, is being developed by Raydient Places + Properties, a taxable subsidiary of real estate investment trust Rayonier Inc.
› Sonic booms heard across Florida as secret Space Force spaceplane returns to KSC [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
A secretive Space Force spaceplane streaked across Florida early Saturday, generating unmistakable sonic booms en route to a landing at Kennedy Space Center that wrapped up another record-breaking mission. Dozens of sonic boom reports surfaced as X-37B, a robotic military spacecraft that looks like a miniature space shuttle, followed an eastern path across the state and eventually landed at KSC's Launch and Landing Facility.
› Can adding minerals to ocean curb climate change? Elon Musk backs UM grad’s research [Miami Herald]
Laura Stieghorst was sitting in the back of a University of Miami classroom in November 2021 when she got the email that would change her life. As her professor lectured the class on sustainable development, Stieghorst, then a senior studying environmental science and policy, learned that Elon Musk — founder of Tesla and SpaceX, new owner of Twitter and the world’s richest man — was about to give her a $100,000 grant to fund her research proposal to fight climate change.
› Festival of Trees brings ‘Gifts of the Season’ to Orlando Museum of Art [Orlando Sentinel]
The holidays are kicking off early at Orlando Museum of Art as the Festival of Trees returns for its 36th annual event. This year’s celebration, themed “Gifts of the Season,” is presented by the Council of 101, an organization of 300 women who fundraise for the museum — more than $13 million since the organization’s founding in 1965. Gingerbread houses, wreaths and 47 designer trees deck the halls of the Loch Haven Park cultural institution, all available for visitors to browse and buy.