Canadian Snowbirds heading to Florida face hurricane-damaged facilities — and all the extra costs looming

Canadian snowbirds are preparing to head south again for winter. This is the first ‘normal’ move since the start of the pandemic. Some birds find their winter nests in disarray.

Hurricane Ian left a trail of destruction when it hit Florida last month. He had $70 billion (US) in damage from an estimated $40 billion there and in the state of Carolina. As the storm rages on, Garry Macdonald and his wife Mary Ellen wait for news from their home near Sarnia, Ontario, wintering in North his Fort His Myers neighborhood since 2013. I was.

In the beginning, information was readily available. Neighbors have set up social media pages, with permanent residents discussing what they had seen before the storm. But Mr. and Mrs. MacDonald, who were monitoring reports of the hurricane’s ravages, wondered, and these updates dwindled as the storm rolled in.

48 hours after the storm passed, McDonald’s received a report of damage to their home. The outer roof had fallen off, the sunroom was missing, and part of the carport had been blown away.

“I think there was a moderate to moderate disaster impact,” he said. “[But]there are some people in our community — at least 10% of our homes are fully written off and I feel so sorry for those people. Some of them are I am a permanent resident.”

(Neighbors there told McDonald’s that the storm, Florida’s deadliest hurricane in more than 80 years, didn’t simply pass through the area, but “stayed there and did devastating things.”) said it looked like

Due to Canadian medical regulations limiting the amount of time they are allowed to spend outside the country, McDonald’s was unable to immediately come down and check the damage for themselves. We knew what to expect when we arrived, but it was still a shock,” says Garry.

Some damage has been cleaned up by neighbors, but the sunroom at the front of the house has been flattened and the aluminum sheets used for the roof of the house have been torn and twisted in the ground around it. I saw. Their carport is almost gone.

However, we decided that the house itself was livable.

“We knew we had power. We knew we had water. It was strung up and we’re fine.

“Everything inside was manageable and safe, which is what the kids were worried about. And when the missing contractors become available, we can add the rest.“

For Gary Wilson, who lives in London, Ontario, it’s still unclear whether a Florida home is livable. This was to be Wilson’s final winter at Fort Myers. They were planning to sell a mobile home there this year.

These plans are currently on hold while Ian’s damages are assessed.

“This has been our home for 13 years. We come home for six months each year,” Wilson said.

“We were planning to sell the house this year, but now there is considerable doubt as to whether it will be possible to sell it.

“So we’re looking more closely to determine how extensive the damage is and whether it’s repairable, and[and]trying to find out what our options are.”

Snowbirds in Florida must not only wipe out damage from Category 4 (out of 5) hurricanes, but also deal with increased post-pandemic costs of wintering south of the border. Some may find the annual transition more difficult in the future.

Gasoline remains cheaper than in Canada, but early arrivals report prices have risen significantly in U.S. grocery stores. Add in the potential for premium increases after Ian, and the resulting financial pressure on snowbirds will increase significantly.

“This is a big concern this winter,” said Bob Slack, president of the Canadian Snowbird Association, which winters in Winterhaven, southwest of Orlando. “We have to cut back on activity, go out to dinner, and do all the extra stuff. Stay home and cook. Let’s start the barbecue.”

“I think all snowbirds have some kind of limit on how much they want to spend.”

For families who, like the Wilsons, were planning to end a series of winters in the sunshine, Hurricane Ian is a walk away or just a walk away from snow bird days with little money from a home sale. It meant a difference.

“No matter what happens, this is the end of our vacation in Florida,” said Wilson. “We don’t know what we face financially.

“Until you get there and talk to insurance companies, adjusters, etc., there are a lot of unknowns.”

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