Snowbirds

[tdg32561]

I live in Gulf Breeze, Fl and this area was hard hit from Ivan plus all of Northwest Florida. The rest of the state was hard hit by Charley, Frances and Jeanne. I hope all snowbirds will take this into consideration and visit someplace else this year. I work in Ft Walton and drive the 38 miles back and forth to work everyday and before Ivan I could make it under an hour, now it takes 1.5 - 2 hours to travel. The increased traffic is due to extra contractors being in the area but also I notice out of state plates starting to make their yearly track into Florida. Please have some consideration and let us rebuild before you come back. Thanks

[Andy_L]

asking people NOT to come? now that strikes me as odd...i would have thought FLA would be screaming for tourists so that the impact to your economy is reduced. Your travel time to work might be an inconvenience but a collapsed economy is FAR worse i would think. Just my 2 cents

[Sanibel]

If you own a house then they insist you stay away. It's only tourists that are invited back to help fund the recovery. Those funds are vital...

[depotoo]

you are welcome on the southeast coast!

[tdg32561]

You cannot get cleaned up with thousands of tourists in your's or my area and the tourist officials in nw florida has asked them to put their plans off for awhile. Yes we do need the tourist money but do any of you want them in your neighborhoods gawking? That's just what they're doing in ours.

[weathermom]

Some of those "snow birds" own property in Florida and have not yet seen how their homes have fared. Some spend more months of the year living in Florida than they do "up north". They have just as much right to be there as you do!

[Scorpion]

I think we should ban all tourists coming into FL until next year ! Unless they're visiting family or going to their second homes. Its sad that we rely on tourism so much.

[fwbbreeze]

tdg32561 is just repeating what the Tourist Development folks are saying here in the panhandle. Though they don't label them as "snowbirds" they are asking for all visitors to hold off visiting the area until the restoration work is complete. I am hearing in Okaloosa county that a new advertising blitz should occur late in the year welcoming people back next year. Weathermom I doubt tdg32561 was referring to property owners in her post simply those folks that rent during the winter months.

[azskyman]

Unfortunately, Snowbird business is BIG business. They love their winter homes wherever they may be.

I understand the frustration of having them come back during the cleanup and rebuilding time, but the challenge you have in asking them to stay away...even if for just a little while, is that if they feel unwanted...even if for good reason, they will go somewhere else and not be back the next year either. Or the next. Or the next.

We have seen similar behavior here in Arizona.

I suspect that some of your loss will be our gain this time around. The Minnesotans are already arriving down here!

Good luck in trying to keep the door open while you clean up and rebuild. You will need to include some red carpet in your rebuilding plans.

[DESTRUCTION5]

They will continue hidden till Cane season is over...They are deathly freighten of them..