Everglades City, located right on the coast of Florida, is at high risk for hurricane impacts due to its geographic positioning. Being a coastal city, it's extremely susceptible to storm surges and heavy rainfall that can result in significant flooding. Additionally, Everglades City's relatively low elevation, with most of the area at or below sea level, contributes to this flooding risk. We can also anticipate potential wind damage, especially for older or unsound structures that may fail under high wind speeds associated with hurricanes. The wetland landscape of the Everglades might also suffer from violent wind shifts and excessive water, causing damage to the local ecosystem.

Over the last 30 years, Everglades City has experienced several significant hurricane impacts. Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Wilma in 2005, and Irma in 2017 are particularly noteworthy. Hurricane Irma, a Category 4 storm, was especially devastating for Everglades City, causing widespread damage from both wind and flood as storm surges reached heights of up to 10 feet. Long recovery times from such events, along with the continued increase in hurricane intensity due to climate change, present a recurring and escalating threat to Everglades City. Future planning and preparedness policies should take this high risk into consideration.