Traumatic hurricane season draws to a close

PENSACOLA, Fla. - One of the most traumatic hurricane seasons in Florida history officially ended Tuesday with Gov. Jeb Bush calling the occasion a time for "reflection and celebration."

Florida was hit by an unprecedented four hurricanes in a single season, a two-month barrage of storms that triggered the nation's biggest natural-disaster response.

The hurricanes took 117 lives in Florida, destroyed more than 25,000 homes and heavily damaged 4,600 more. Damage was estimated at $42 billion, surpassing the $34.9 billion caused in 1992 by Hurricane Andrew, the nation's single most costly storm.

Bush toured some of the most severely affected areas, beginning at Escambia County's new emergency operations center.

"This was a historic time," Bush said. "As a state we learned a lot about ourselves and it's important to reflect on that. I think Florida is a better place and a stronger place because of this."

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Hurricane Charley plowed into southwestern Florida in mid-August, and Frances, Ivan and Jeanne slammed the state in September.

Escambia County Public Safety Director Janice Kilgore's announcement that the hurricane season was officially over drew a cheer as she introduced the governor, but nature does not always adhere to that schedule. Storms were brewing Tuesday in the Caribbean and the mid-Atlantic that could turn into subtropical or tropical cyclones.

National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield urged people to begin planning now for the next hurricane season. "People that had a hurricane plan did better than those that did not," he said in Miami.

The center will release its prediction for the 2005 season on May 16, but Mayfield said it is likely that a trend of increasing activity will continue.

"We have had more tropical storms and more hurricanes since 1995 than any consecutive 10-year period on the record," Mayfield said.

In 2004, there were 14 named storms in the Atlantic region, including nine hurricanes, six of which were major.

Photos of buildings with walls and roofs missing and storm-driven white sand covering roads, yards, homes and vehicles like huge snowdrifts flashed on a large screen behind Bush as he spoke. He praised emergency workers, neighbors who helped neighbors and about 140,000 volunteers from around the world.

"It's important to take that creative compassion that I saw during the storms as people responded to that and use it in everyday life to improve people's lives," Bush said.

While the hurricane season may be over, the misery is not. In the Panhandle alone, about 1,000 residents are waiting for mobile homes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The statewide total of people living in government trailers is expected to reach 15,000, Bush said.

Bush said he would push during a special legislative session for passage of tax relief for people who lost their homes and the elimination of multiple deductibles on insurance policies for those who had damage from more than one hurricane.