Florida
As Debby hits Florida, Americans are still moving to severe weather states
Neither the threat of wildfires nor catastrophic flooding have kept thousands of Americans from migrating to locations in Texas and Florida where extreme weather-related disasters are causing increasing damage year after year.
Between July 2022 and July 2023, nearly 69,000 people bought homes in frequent-flood counties in the Sunshine State — including Brevard, Manatee and Lee — according to a new analysis from Redfin. Another roughly 24,000 Americans became new residents in the heaviest flood-risk areas of Texas during that same time period — including in Brazoria and Fort Bend counties — the online real estate brokerage said.
The inflow of new residents is happening as former residents are fleeing.
“Ballooning insurance costs and intensifying natural disasters are driving thousands of Americans out of risky areas, but those people are quickly being replaced by other people for whom climate change isn’t the top concern,” Redfin Senior Economist Elijah de la Campa said in the report.
Part-time paradise at a steep price
Depending on where they move in the state, new residents in danger-prone areas in Florida should expect to find themselves in the path of a hurricane or other types of severe storms.
Most recently, Hurricane Debby, the fourth-named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, made landfall on Monday near Steinhatchee, a tiny community in northern Florida with less than 1,000 residents. The hurricane so far has left nearly 300,000 Floridians without power, before being downgraded to a tropical storm.
Moving to Florida and Texas will also likely mean higher homeowners insurance for new residents, as natural disasters have caused insurance companies to raise annual rates for coverage.
Homeowners insurance rates have climbed 15% and 36% in Florida and Texas, respectively, between 2022 and 2023, according to data from S&P Global. One resident in Orlando, Florida, told CBS News in June that his home insurance grew to $6,000 from $1,500 a year for a 2024 policy.
Asked by clients how much they will pay for homeowners insurance in Florida, Rafael Corrales, a Redfin real estate agent based in Miami, said he tells prospective homebuyers that it all depends on how close they want to be to the coast.
“If you’re looking to buy a home in Florida, you should know that you can’t be close to the water without being in a flood zone,” Corrales said in a statement. “If you’re within three miles of the coastline, Mother Nature is going to pay you a visit,” he said, adding, “That’s the price you pay for living in paradise.”
From one wildfire state to another
Counties with a high risk of wildfires also saw an influx in new residents, with 63,365 more people entering high-fire-risk states in 2023 than the number of those leaving, according to Redfin.
Leading the trend is Texas.
About 35,000 new residents migrated into wildfire-endangered areas of Texas — including Grayson, Hunt, Midland, Parker and Wise counties, the Redfin analysis shows. That contrasts with the approximately 17,357 Americans who have fled wildfire-prone counties in California — including Lassen, Solano and Napa. The exodus of California residents marks a reversal from 2022, indicating that people may be growing more responsive to fire risk in the Golden State.
Texas has large swaths of undeveloped land that’s near developed land, making some parts of the state especially vulnerable to wildfires, Redfin noted. The Lone Star State had the second-largest number of wildfires last year — 7,102 — second only to California’s 7,364, Redfin said. One reason for the migration from one high-fire-risk area to another, according to the report, is cost of living.
“For a lot of Americans, things like cost of living and proximity to family take precedence over catastrophe risk, which can feel less immediate and more abstract,” Redfin’s de la Campa said. “But the cost-benefit calculus seems to be shifting in places like California and Florida, where skyrocketing home insurance costs and an uptick in high-profile disasters have had a tangible impact on residents and made national news.”
Gisele Bündchen and her boyfriend, Joaquim Valente, soaked up the sun during a jet skiing date in Florida.
The model and the MMA athlete appeared in good spirits while on the water near their home in Surfside on Saturday.
They both stayed close to each other and sported life vests.
Bündchen, 35, appeared to be wearing a white one-piece bathing suit underneath her vest.
She accessorized with sunglasses and styled her hair in a ponytail.
As for Valente, he sported black swim trunks.
The couple, who have been romantically linked since 2023, enjoyed some quality time together after welcoming a son together in February.
While Bündchen and Valente have shied away from revealing too much about their infant, they recently took him out on a boat ride in September.
At the time, the former Victoria’s Secret model was seen cradling her son while her beau took the wheel.
Valente then adorably held onto their 10-month-old, as Bündchen watched in awe.
The health guru also shared a rare glimpse of her son alongside her 16-year-old son, Benjamin, in October.
The teenager adorably held onto his little brother while playing the piano.
Bündchen shares Benjamin and her daughter Vivian, 13, with her ex-husband, Tom Brady.
The exes were wed from 2009 to 2022.
The former NFL star also shares an 18-year-old son, Jack, with his ex Bridget Moynahan.
The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) football state championships continued last night down in Miami at Pitbull Stadium as the Raines Vikings upset the Northwestern Bulls for the the Class 3A state championship, provind the most exciting game of the week thus far. Another rematch from last year’s finals pits the American Heritage Patriots versus the Jones Tigers for the Class 4A state championship this afternoon. We preview the sixth of seven FHSAA state championship games as teams begin being crowned as champions of their classifications.
How to Watch American Heritage vs. Jones in Florida 4A state championship game
Date: Saturday, Dec. 13
Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: Pitbull Stadium in Miami, Fla.
TV Channel: NFHS Network
American Heritage Players to Watch
QB Leon Strawder: Strawder is making his second consecutive appearance in a state championship game, this time with a different team, however. The senior has thrown for 2,052 yards and 19 touchdowns.
WR Jamar Denson: Of the star-studded wide receiving corps for American Heritage, its Denson who has been Mr. Reliable thus far this season. Throughout the course of the season, Denson has hauled in 69 passes for 991 yards and 15 touchdowns.
WR Jeffar Jean-Noel: The Georgia Tech commit has been the second option behind Denson on offense, with Jean-Noel catching 57 passes for 795 yards and six touchdowns.
LB Dylan Bennett: Anchoring the front seven of the Patriots’ defense is the senior linebacker, who currently leads the team with 61 total tackles, 17 them going for a loss and five sacks.
Jones Players to Watch
QB Dereon Coleman: The Miami signee is as calm as they come in the pocket as the senior quarterback has thrown for 2,749 yards, 28 touchdowns and only three picks this Florida high school football season.
WR Larry Miles: Coleman’s favorite target to throw to is the Nebraska signee as the senior looks to end his high school career with a state crown. Miles has caught 88 passes for 1,111 and 10 touchdowns.
OL Xavier Payne: The 6-foot-7, 275-pound Colorado offensive tackle signee will have the job of making sure Coleman stands upright throughout the afternoon against American Heritage’s pass rush.
EDGE Frederick Ards: The 2027 four-star EDGE rusher for the Tigers has been superb, racking up 73 tackles, 13 for loss and 11 sacks.
Where to Watch the Florida Class 4A state championship on livestream:
You can watch the American Heritage Patriots take on the Jones Tigers starting at 12:30 p.m. ET on NFHS Network.
For Florida high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Sunshine State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across the state of Florida.
Watch CBS News
‘Wait Wait’ for December 13, 2025: With Not My Job guest Lucy Dacus
A new old idea about video stores
Australian authorities: Bondi Beach shooting was ‘terrorism … designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community’
Trump’s election win filled Hamas with ‘fear,’ hostage held like ‘slave’ for 505 days recounts
5 winter-weather essentials to protect skin health in dangerously cold temperatures
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Trump’s election win filled Hamas with ‘fear,’ hostage held like ‘slave’ for 505 days recounts
In Khartoum, exhumation of makeshift graves reawakens families’ grief
Manhunt under way for attacker after two students killed at US university
Video: At Least Two Killed in Shooting at Brown University
FBI ousts reinstated whistleblower over unauthorized media talks, ‘poor judgment’
-
Alaska1 week agoHowling Mat-Su winds leave thousands without power
-
Texas1 week agoTexas Tech football vs BYU live updates, start time, TV channel for Big 12 title
-
Ohio1 week agoWho do the Ohio State Buckeyes hire as the next offensive coordinator?
-
Washington5 days agoLIVE UPDATES: Mudslide, road closures across Western Washington
-
Iowa7 days agoMatt Campbell reportedly bringing longtime Iowa State staffer to Penn State as 1st hire
-
Miami, FL1 week agoUrban Meyer, Brady Quinn get in heated exchange during Alabama, Notre Dame, Miami CFP discussion
-
Cleveland, OH7 days agoMan shot, killed at downtown Cleveland nightclub: EMS
-
World7 days ago
Chiefs’ offensive line woes deepen as Wanya Morris exits with knee injury against Texans
