reader mail
Mary writes in to ask a question:
Hi Tommy,Great blog site! I really enjoyed reading it and all the useful info and facts! Questions: I’m trying to figure out if I should move to Tampa, a big decision. I’m worried about all the bugs, mosquitos, and espcially hurricanes. I heard people have to board up their windows and it sounds like a hassle. Also, about how long do you think it takes to work from Tampa Palm to downtown during rush hour? I’m thinking the upsides of Tampa: warmer weather, nice beach. From your experience, if one can choose where to move, do you think the positive outweights the negative? Thank you very much for your opinion.
Take care!
Mary
Dear Mary,
Thanks for your email! Of course you should move to Tampa. The average temperature is 72 degrees, among the best in the nation. Beautiful beaches are less than an hour away. And the cost of living is much lower here than in many parts of the country. The negatives you mention are known as “paying the rent.”
Bugs and mosquitoes are simply a part of Florida. You learn to deal with them as you do alligators. But Florida has no more bugs than any other state. The difference is here the insects are trying to get out of the god-forsaken heat, so they go inside, just like humans. The key is to protect your house with the help of a competent bug guy, and encourage the critters to go to your neighbor’s house.
No matter where you live in the good ol’ U.S. of A., there are periods of treacherous weather. Earthquakes in the West, tornadoes in the Midwest, and blizzards in the Northeast disrupt people’s lives constantly. Here in Florida, we get a hurricane now and again. But the thing is you get advance warning for hurricanes. You’ll know 3 to 5 days ahead of time when a storm will hit, so you can plan in advance to wait until the last minute to leave. I’m pretty sure earthquakes don’t call ahead. Also, on average hurricanes hit Florida once every (ten?) years or so (Tampa once every 33 years, check your city). After four slamming Florida last season, we can expect not to get hit with another until 2046 or so (I hope).
By the way, you may want to check with the Gax, who lives out that way, but I think Tampa Palms to downtown will take less than an hour during normal rush hour, unless there is a hurricane, when it will take twenty minutes.
Good luck with the move,
tommy
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