Rebuilding the beach
By: J. David Chapman/November 1, 2018
Many Oklahomans make the trek to the Gulf Coast for summertime vacations, enjoying family time at the beach.
We raised our family going on snow-skiing vacations in the mountains of Colorado and New Mexico. As we get older, the sunny, warm weather of the beach is more inviting to me and my wife. We especially like the surfer/beach culture that develops in these small beach towns. We have been paying attention to the latest violent hurricanes hitting these popular summer getaway resorts.
What makes these beach towns unique is the lack of the corporate nameplates and national franchises. A great example is Mexico Beach, Florida. This small coastal community was destroyed by Hurricane Michael. Residents among the community of about 1,200 people who rode out the Category 4 storm with 155 mph winds at home are still there, but the city’s Facebook page tells others to stay away.
In a state that has seen the development of condominiums as a replacement for small 1950s beach homes, this community was probably the best example of what locals call “old Florida.” Neighboring Panama Beach, by contract, is a great example of the replacement condominium resort properties that have come to represent the rest of Florida.
It is not my intent to minimize the human loss of these terrible storms. This storm took the lives of at least 16 people in the area. Human life is always more important than any loss in the built environment; however, the changes in that built environment that will transpire after the cleanup and rebuild will change lifestyles for many as we lose this prime example of “old Florida.”
Mayor Al Cathey stated that the town will rebuild; however, visitors will see significant change in the town. It will be built to withstand future storms and limit future damage. The town will inevitably lose some of the quaintness and old cottage-style homes. It will be newer, modern, and improved. They hope to keep codes limiting buildings to four stories, effectively limiting large-scale developers.
My guess is this small sample of Florida in the 1950s is going to look more like neighboring Panama Beach after the rebuild than the previous Mexico Beach. I also feel like the newer and modern replacement may not be “improved.”
J. David Chapman is an associate professor of finance and real estate at the University of Central Oklahoma (jchapman7@uco.edu)