When the latest recession hit, Florida suffered a major blow, and the swimming pool industry felt the repercussions of the devastated housing market. But the state wasn't ready to surrender, and in the last few years it has been on a major rebound, thanks, in part, to foreign investors.
Both new construction and renovations continue to make a strong come back. But not everything is making the grade in the Sunshine State. In fact, a recent report suggests Florida is one of the states most at risk of suffering from the effects of climate change.
Climate Central, a group including ICF International, various climate scientists and journalists, recently released a report that assesses the threats all 50 states will face and their current level of preparedness for those threats.
The Sunshine State stands out for both its endangerment and its indifference to those dangers. It faces all five climate threats, including droughts and wildfires. It gets an F grade for "coastal flood preparedness." And it ranks first in the country for inland flooding and second for extreme heat (it's projected to see a seven-fold increase in heatwaves by 2050). In climate terms, it has a big "hit me" sign on its back.
Meanwhile, some other major pool industry states also failed to make the grade. Texas, and Nevada, as well as Missouri, Mississippi, and Arkansas all received an F for preparedness. Interestingly, however, California received an A overall, with good scores in each of the five climate change threat categories (drought, inland flooding, coastal flooding, wildfires, and extreme heat). This may be a result of the state plan called Safeguarding California that was released last year.
While no one wants to see more flooding and wildfires, the anticipated extreme heat could (sadly) boost the swimming pool industry. Read More
