The full scope of Hurricane Idalia's destruction is still coming into focus, but experts say one thing is clear: It could have been more like the damage wrought by Hurricane Ian had it hit anywhere else on the Florida coast.
Idalia and Ian shared key characteristics: Both were major hurricanes with huge destructive potential and life-threatening storm surge. Both also rapidly intensified as they approached landfall — something experts say has been happening to storms more frequently.
But the places they struck were remarkably different.
Category 4 Hurricane Ian made landfall in a high-density area with vast barrier island development. Category 3 Hurricane Idalia, while certainly the weaker storm, made landfall in a low-population area known for its marshlands and woodlands.
"You're talking about a very urbanized area versus an extremely rural area," Jeffrey Carney, professor and director of the Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience at the University of Florida, told CNN. "That's the biggest difference — one of those areas has beautiful sandy beaches, and the other one is mostly mangroves."
Ultimately, how impactful a storm is depends on what natural features exist in the area, how it has been designed to withstand extreme weather and the scale of human exposure.
And for the places hit by Ian and Idalia, the differences were stark.
As someone who has worked with communities along the Big Bend region on climate adaptation, Kathryn Frank, a professor of urban planning at the University of Florida, said she was not surprised by the impacts of Hurricane Idalia.
"It comes down to exposure," Frank told CNN. "At the large scale, it's more a function of just not having development there to be damaged."
Coastal development is putting people and properties at risk just as much as the storms are. Hurricane Ian slammed into one of the fastest-growing areas of the country and put hundreds of thousands of people in harm's way. It ended up being Florida's deadliest storm in nearly a century and was the second-costliest disaster on record after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, according to one analysis.
"It did strike me as a big omission in the hazards planning, emergency management-type fields that they weren't thinking about future growth as part of the equation," said Frank, who is working on a few projects in Florida cities that account for population growth.
While it's hard to imagine hurricane-induced storm surge and flooding more frightening than what Hurricane Ian and previous major storms have caused along the Gulf, researchers say that more extreme events are coming — and that if communities fail to build back smarter, the devastation could be worse the next time around.
"Not only does continued development in these areas put people and homes and businesses at risk, but it also compromises these areas' abilities to absorb the energy and flooding associated with storms," said Serena Hoermann, assistant director for the Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions at Florida Atlantic University.
Hoermann told CNN that as a storm is imminent, we focus on our built environments to help protect human life: roads to evacuate on, sea walls to protect us from surge.
But well before the storm, the focus should be on how nature can help build up our resiliency along the coast, such as "our barrier islands or dunes or coral reefs, our wetlands, because those are vitally important assets that protect us from storms and provide our livelihood."
Experts told CNN the Big Bend area of Florida was spared the worst not only because it was sparsely populated, but also because nature-based features — coastal wetlands, woodlands and mangroves — acted as buffer.
"Nature can certainly provide those sorts of mitigating functions of maybe like, if you had a marsh versus a seawall, right — it can absorb more water and kind of slow it down," Frank said.
One study found that mangroves in Florida protected about 625,000 people and prevented US$1.5 billion in direct flood damage during Hurricane Irma in 2017. According to a study from The Nature Conservancy, a healthy coral reef can reduce 97 per cent of a wave's strength and energy before it hits the shore, serving as a buffer from potentially destructive cyclones.
Florida is going to keep building, Carney said – it's just a matter of how to do so in a way that minimizes risk in a place constantly vulnerable to storms like hurricanes Ian and Idalia.
"As we think about our cities, there's a lot of responsibility to fix and adapt and transform cities," he said. "I'm not saying we should keep building bad architecture at the fringes of our cities, but we need to reinvest and transform our environments."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government is slashing immigration targets as he admits the government did not get the balance right following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Four people are dead and another is in hospital after a Tesla driving through downtown Toronto at a high rate of speed crashed into a guardrail and struck a concrete pillar on Lake Shore Boulevard.
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The RCMP is warning residents in northeast Saskatchewan to seek shelter and avoid picking up hitchhikers as police search for a group of armed and dangerous suspects.
Donations are quickly pouring in for the family of a young woman who was found dead inside a Walmart in Halifax last weekend.
The NDP is looking to push back against what it calls a 'creep' of legislation, petitions and threats from the Conservatives aimed at reducing access to abortion.
A new report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information says 83 per cent of adults in this country have a regular primary-care provider, but that still leaves 5.4 million adults without one.
A haunted house in the Ontario Town of Innisfil is causing a real scare for some people a week before Halloween.
The RCMP is warning residents in northeast Saskatchewan to seek shelter and avoid picking up hitchhikers as police search for a group of armed and dangerous suspects.
Four people are dead and another is in hospital after a Tesla driving through downtown Toronto at a high rate of speed crashed into a guardrail and struck a concrete pillar on Lake Shore Boulevard.
Donations are quickly pouring in for the family of a young woman who was found dead inside a Walmart in Halifax last weekend.
Another local homeowner says trees owned by the City of Regina have caused damaged to his property for years and has resulted in tens of thousands of dollars spent from his own pocket.
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A town in southern Alberta will be one of the first to let golf carts be driven on select roads as part of a provincial pilot program.
Trash carried by a North Korean balloon fell on the presidential compound in central Seoul on Thursday, officials said, the second such case in recent months that raise concerns about the vulnerability of key South Korean sites during potential North Korean aggression.
Elon Musk's super PAC didn't announce a winner for its "daily" $1 million giveaway to registered swing state voters on Wednesday, the same day news broke that the Justice Department warned Musk’s group that its sweepstakes might be illegal.
The Israeli military has forced Palestinians to enter potentially booby-trapped houses and tunnels in Gaza to avoid putting its troops in harm’s way, according to an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier and five former detainees.
British killer nurse Lucy Letby lost her bid Thursday to challenge her conviction for the attempted murder of a baby girl in her care.
An international conference for Lebanon in Paris on Thursday raised US$1 billion in pledges for humanitarian aid and military support to help the country where war between Hezbollah militants and Israel has displaced a million people, killed over 2,500, and deepened an economic crisis, French organizers said.
Widespread flooding and landslides set off by a tropical storm in the northeastern Philippines on Thursday left at least 24 people dead, swept away cars and prompted authorities to scramble for motorboats to rescue trapped villagers, some on roofs.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government is slashing immigration targets as he admits the government did not get the balance right following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday said he would lead his Liberal party into the next election despite mounting unhappiness among some legislators about his performance.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is attending a conference on Lebanon as leaders try to help the country cope with the damage caused by Israeli airstrikes.
A Colorado man has filed the first lawsuit against McDonald’s relating to its E. coli outbreak linked to Quarter Pounders that, so far, has led to at least 49 illnesses across 10 states, including one death.
Radon is a radioactive gas found in nearly every Canadian home. A new research study is putting a renewed spotlight on the invisible, odourless element that is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in Canada.
At least 1,749 people have died from toxic and unregulated drugs in British Columbia since the start of the year – a rate of more than six people per day, according to the latest data from the provincial coroner's office.
Vancouver Fire Rescue Services received its first shipment of new firefighting gear on Wednesday, advancing the department's plans to reduce cancer risk for its members.
Officials in Hong Kong said Wednesday they have discovered dinosaur fossils in the city for the first time on a remote, uninhabited island that's part of a geopark.
A meteor lit up our region's sky last night – with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.
The imagination of Tim Burton has produced ghosts and ghouls, Martians, monsters and misfits -- all on display at an exhibition that is opening in London just in time for Halloween. But you know what really scares him? Artificial intelligence.
Beyoncé is expected to appear Friday in her hometown of Houston at a rally for Vice-President Kamala Harris, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Ron Ely, who played the title character 'Tarzan' in the 1960s NBC series, has died at the age of 86.
Keurig Dr Pepper will expand its energy drink business by acquiring the brand Ghost for more than US$1 billion. The range of Ghost’s energy drink flavors, in partnership with sweet brands like Sour Patch Kids and Oreo, sets Keurig up to appeal to a younger audience, the company said in a statement Thursday.
Cineplex Inc. has filed an appeal of a record $38.9-million fine for deceptive marketing practices imposed by the Competition Tribunal.
Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.
A Toronto man who only recently checked a Lotto 6/49 lottery ticket he bought back in June is now $2.5 million richer.
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Chris Boucher was back, for at least one game. The veteran forward spent most of last season at the far end of the Toronto Raptors' bench, rarely seeing playing time.
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A senior executive for Volkswagen in China has been deported for allegedly using cocaine and marijuana while on vacation in Thailand, according to Chinese authorities and German media reports.
A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.
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He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.
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A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.
Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.
At least 1,749 people have died from toxic and unregulated drugs in British Columbia since the start of the year – a rate of more than six people per day, according to the latest data from the provincial coroner's office.
Vancouver police say they’re investigating a stabbing in the city’s downtown core Thursday morning.
A University of British Columbia employee and members of the Jewish community are speaking out following a protest that targeted a campus event featuring guest speakers with ties to Israel.
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One person has been rushed to hospital in life-threatening condition after a daylight shooting in North York, Toronto paramedics say.
A town in southern Alberta will be one of the first to let golf carts be driven on select roads as part of a provincial pilot program.
Richard Robert Mantha, accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting several women at a rural property east of Calgary, has fired his legal counsel again.
The Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Campaign is launching Oct. 25, aiming to raise money to support Canada’s veterans and their families.
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Quebec’s Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI) is investigating after police in Gatineau, Que. shot and killed a man who allegedly stabbed an officer during an investigation.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government is slashing immigration targets as he admits the government did not get the balance right following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante announced Wednesday she would not seek a third mandate. Her decision has many talking about the demands of municipal leadership, particularly for women.
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The Edmonton Police Service says there was a drug lab at a business where a sudden death happened earlier this week.
A man is facing charges after he was arrested by High Level RCMP for allegedly forcing girlfriend into confinement and physically assaulting her earlier this month.
Wind looks to be the big weather story today. We should get gusts in the 30-40 km/h range starting late this morning and continuing through to early evening (7p.m.'ish).
Donations are quickly pouring in for the family of a young woman who was found dead inside a Walmart in Halifax last weekend.
WorkSafeNB is investigating after a man was killed in a workplace incident at a tire shop in Moncton, N.B., last week.
What once was Hurricane Oscar is now a strong, post-tropical low-pressure system. The centre of the system is holding east of the Atlantic coastline of Nova Scotia. Some of the outermost bands of rain are expected to build into the Eastern Shore of the mainland and Cape Breton Thursday night into Friday.
A Manitoba man who pleaded guilty to murdering his common-law partner and two children more than two years ago was sentenced Thursday.
The Manitoba government is extending its retail theft initiative.
The parents of an infant who was found to be malnourished and abused are facing charges.
Regina police says a reward of up to $50,000 is available for information that leads to the arrest of Daniel 'Juma' Drie Atem, who officers say is responsible for a murder that occurred downtown in the summer of 2023.
Another local homeowner says trees owned by the City of Regina have caused damaged to his property for years and has resulted in tens of thousands of dollars spent from his own pocket.
The RCMP is warning residents in northeast Saskatchewan to seek shelter and avoid picking up hitchhikers as police search for a group of armed and dangerous suspects.
Detective Robert Hofstetter examined Erb’s home after her death and came to several conclusions based on the blood stains he found there.
A psychologist who recently assessed Geovanny Villalba-Aleman believes he may have experienced a psychotic break before stabbing three people in a gender studies class at a University of Waterloo.
Corrections Service Canada has confirmed a women’s prison in Kitchener is in lockdown.
The RCMP is warning residents in northeast Saskatchewan to seek shelter and avoid picking up hitchhikers as police search for a group of armed and dangerous suspects.
There is an increased police presence in Saskatoon’s Mayfair neighborhood following a series of reported fires in the area.
Federal housing minister Sean Fraser says he’s going to work directly with the cities of Saskatoon and Regina to tackle homeless encampments, after the province ignored his funding offer last month.
Sudbury police say a weapons call about a man pointing a gun at a woman in the city’s West End on Tuesday afternoon led to multiple charges.
The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.
A 72-year-old driver was charged Wednesday with following two closely after a five-vehicle crash sent several people to hospital in Parry Sound.
A ceremony was held inside council chambers Thursday morning, honouring London’s mayor with the first poppy of this year’s campaign.
David Musyj said the process of establishing a new board continues, stressing that it took a longtime for the hospital group to get into the situation it's in and it will take time to make things right.
A 27-year-old man is miraculously alive after his pickup went over Hawk Cliff near Port Stanley. Fire fighters estimate that from the top to bottom of the embankment is around 270 feet.
A power outage left thousands of Barrie residents in the dark on Wednesday night.
Emergency crews were called to attend a fire that broke out in a grassy area in Barrie on Thursday morning.
A haunted house in the Ontario Town of Innisfil is causing a real scare for some people a week before Halloween.
Members of Unifor Local 2458 at Clear Medical Imaging are preparing for a possible strike, as the deadline looms Thursday night.
The Windsor Police Traffic Enforcement Unit was cracking down on various driving infractions across the city on Thursday.
In the Town of Tecumseh, residents and athletes alike are facing a pickleball problem that may prove costly.
At least 1,749 people have died from toxic and unregulated drugs in British Columbia since the start of the year – a rate of more than six people per day, according to the latest data from the provincial coroner's office.
Legend has it that on a dark evening in 1988, friends of Supt. Joe Atherton quietly buried his body on the site of the old provincial RCMP headquarters in Vancouver.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government is slashing immigration targets as he admits the government did not get the balance right following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
A town in southern Alberta will be one of the first to let golf carts be driven on select roads as part of a provincial pilot program.
A Lethbridge recovery centre, tasked with helping residents struggling with addictions, is celebrating its first year of success in the community.
Graduate students looking to become mental-health professionals will have more opportunities to study in the University of Lethbridge’s Master of Education Counselling Psychology program.
An annual event held in Sault Ste. Marie is back for the 29th year to ensure local kids get the winter clothing they need as the temperature dips.
The lack of 24-hour public washrooms has been a long-standing issue in the Sault, especially considering the rise in homelessness.
The union representing the fire rangers with the Ministry of Natural Resources says money won’t fix the systemic problems in the workplace.
Investigators found the remains of a 77-year-old American man on Wednesday at the scene of a fire that destroyed a hotel in western Newfoundland earlier on the weekend.
Police in western Newfoundland say a 77-year-old man visiting the province from Kansas is missing after a fire at a hotel in Deer Lake, N.L.
At 2 p.m. on Thursday, the scene at the Lions Club in Clarenville, N.L., rivalled any rowdy St. John's bar that thumps with music late on a weekend night.
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