Babcock Ranch, a hurricane-proof town in Florida, could set an example for the future.
When Hurricane Milton ravaged the Sunshine State last week, the community of Babcock Ranch witnessed only a few fallen trees and some downed traffic lights, but no power outages.
Located on the west coast of Florida, a town called Babcock Ranch became a safe haven for at least 2,000 Floridians.
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Opened in 2018, the community of Babcock Ranch was created to withstand extreme weather and climate-driven storms.
Just 15 miles southwest, all residents of Fort Myers were under a mandatory evacuation order.
After Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Babcock Ranch was open, the number of people seeking refuge there swelled.
All structures in Babcock Ranch, which is the size of Manhattan, can tolerate winds up to 150 miles per hour and remained unharmed during Hurricane Milton, unlike other communities.
Syd Kitson, the town’s co-founder, and a former NFL player, told the New York Times that Mother Nature will rule every time, but they have tried to mitigate as many risks as possible and make it a resilient community.
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, around 24 people lost their lives, while three million experienced power outages due to the disastrous hurricane last week.
Around 1,600 people took shelter in the hurricane-proof town’s sports complex, while 400 took refuge at a K-12 school.
Local community members rallied to donate essentials for evacuees to support them during these difficult times.
In addition to resisting strong winds, the town is powered by 150-megawatt solar farms with an underground transmission system, resulting in little to no power outages.
Additionally, 90 percent of the community is built on preserved wetlands, which helps collect excess water; this means the town never experiences flooding.
Approximately $115 billion has been lost due to the widespread destruction caused by the two hurricanes, Helene and Milton, over the past month and a half in Florida.
While Babcock Ranch experienced little damage, Kitson believes that neighboring communities and towns in Florida should also consider sustainability and climate change strategies to save their homes and residents.
Insurance companies are finding it harder to do business and function in Florida as losses from insured homes escalate each year.
Babcock Ranch serves as an inspiring model and other communities in Florida can replicate them to help people and homes resist future natural calamities.
