Aftermath of Hurricane Andrew: The survivors and their struggle
Hurricane Andrew claimed 15 lives, and cleanup claimed another 29. Even so, no one could predict the aftermath that Hurricane Andrew would have on the 2000 presidential election. When people were trying to rebuild their lives, the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew added more anguish to the election situation. Their story, revealed in Everglades Betrayal – The Issue that Defeated Al Gore, is one of perseverance, dedication and commitment to protecting the region’s wondrous natural areas at a time when others would have given up.
Residents of south Florida are a resilient bunch. They took notice of a proposal to rebuild the Homestead Air Force Base into an airport. This proposal would change the life they knew before Hurricane Andrew by degrading the experience of Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park. The aftermath of Hurricane Andrew was shaping up to be worse than the storm until they organized and protested.
Everglades Betrayal is a tale of grassroots efforts to improve the quality of life in south Florida. It involves scores of environmentalists, conservation organizations, two national parks, elected officials, and lobbyists. Everglades Betrayal is a steamy drama of the bureaucratic process involved with approving the transfer and re-use of federal land. It involves twists and turns at every juncture and culminates with the 2000 presidential election.
The aftermath of Hurricane Andrew provides an interesting case study. The book Everglades Betrayal is now available online and is worthwhile for anyone interested in Florida politics, protecting our environment, land use planning, or insight into the 2000 presidential election. People survived the political storm; the environment survived the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew.
