Lured by the dream of living in a sun-drenched paradise, with a lower cost of living, and in the case of Florida, no state income tax, hundreds of thousands of Americans have migrated to Florida and the Gulf South over the past two decades. In fact, since 2000, the Gulf South region has been the fastest growing U.S. coastal population. Being able to bask in the warm weather, go to the beach, and be active year-round has been a dream come true for many—except during hurricane season.

There has been an increasingly riskier downside to living in Florida or along the Gulf Coast, in the form of hurricanes, floods, tornadoes or other severe weather events. In the past decade, increasingly frequent, stronger, and larger hurricanes have devastated property from Florida (Irma, Michael, Ian, Idalia, and Milton) to Texas and Louisiana (Harvey and Laura).