Every state has some unique dangers. You aren’t going to encounter a wolf in New York City, but head out to rural Montana, and you may run into one in the wild. You probably won’t deal with frostbite in California, but if you live in New England and go out in January with no gloves, it could be an issue.
You could argue that some states are safer than others, but many people would agree that Florida is one of the deadliest. Maybe you’ll be fine if you live in a Miami Beach condo for years, but start exploring the Sunshine State a little, and you’ll soon encounter a myriad of perils.
Let’s go over a few of them right now. If you’re thinking about moving to Florida, this list might give you pause.
If you’re thinking about a Florida move, and you like walking for exercise, you might want to reconsider. The stats show that Florida is the worst pedestrian death state in the country. Between 2008 and 2017, Florida pedestrian fatalities shot up to 5,433.
Some possible reasons might be:
If you find yourself a quiet neighborhood in which to walk around, you might be okay. If you get out on a main road, you’re asking for trouble.
Often, no sidewalks exist, and even where there are some, Florida’s reckless drivers are notorious. They might not bother slowing down, even if you’re in a crosswalk. In this state, the residents almost expect you to drive, so if you try to walk somewhere, you might encounter hostility for that reason alone.
In Florida, you will also find:
Most people feel terrified when they think about encountering an alligator in the wild. It’s tough to say how many gators there are in the Everglades, but rest assured, they’re out there. If you go for a night swim, you’ll probably meet one face to face.
These are essentially prehistoric animals. They`ve existed for millions of years, and they haven’t needed to evolve because they’re already apex predators and killing machines.
Then, there are the snakes. Florida has the eastern coral snake, the dusky pygmy rattlesnake, the timber rattler, and the diamondback rattlesnake, among others. They’re all over the place, and they won’t think twice about biting you if you happen to step on one.
There are also some monster pythons in Florida now. They weren’t there at one point, but many people carelessly released them into the wild over the years, and since then, they have proliferated. If you have a small dog playing in the backyard, or even a child, one of these reptiles might decide they’re a suitable dinner option.
Many people know about Appalachia’s opioid epidemic, but it extends far beyond that part of the country. Florida knows all about it, as many doctors there are more than willing to give out fraudulent prescriptions.
Many Florida opioid deaths occur every year. There are areas where you can easily purchase Oxycodone, Vicodin, Percocet, and others.
You might think if you don’t ingest these drugs yourself, you don’t have anything about which to worry. That’s not the case at all.
A junkie might break into your house or car to try to swipe any money or valuables they can find to support their habit. You might even find one waving a gun in your face on a street corner if they’re desperate enough. Drug stash house robberies can erupt in gunfire as well, and you might catch a stray bullet.
There are other drugs all over Florida that are just as problematic. The Everglades is the perfect place for meth cooks to whip up their latest batch.
Florida’s meth problem is what leads to many of the infamous “Florida Man” stories that make the national news. Meth messes with your head to the point that you’re liable to do just about anything. A meth head will actually enjoy running naked through the streets or attacking a whole squad of armed police officers.
Florida also has several active hate groups. During the past few years, the FBI has warned that there are now more nationalist terrorist organizations than ever before.
Various groups like the Proud Boys boast Florida chapters. If they see someone who is of a different nationality, they will perpetrate acts of violence against them as a matter of course.
Florida is also a state where you will find more registered firearms than almost any other. Those are not the only guns in the state, though. There are doubtless plenty of unregistered ones as well.
There are dozens of gun shows and flea markets in Florida, and if you want to buy an unregistered firearm at one of them, you should be able to with no problems. If you have the cash, you’ll find unscrupulous dealers who will give you what you want, no questions asked.
Where there are more guns, there are definitely more shootings, whether the owners have registered the firearms in question or not. You never know who is carrying. If you accidentally cut someone off in traffic, or they think you did, a road rage incident can lead to gunfire within seconds.
All of these red flags can’t take away from some of the state’s better attributes. There are some amazing beaches, great food, cultural diversity, inexpensive real estate, and more.
However, you have to take the bad with the good, and there’s a lot about Florida that’s hard to overlook. Again, living in Miami will not be the same as living deep in the Everglades, but you’d be wise to consider the state as a whole if you want to live there. Maybe it still sounds appealing, but at least now you know about some of the dangers that lurk there.
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