When I first moved to Philadelphia, I used to describe the area that I grew up in as “that place that they report from on the Weather Channel during hurricane season.” That’s because I hail from Hampstead, NC, just a few miles north of Wilmington, NC, which is sort of a hurricane magnet.
But even Wilmington doesn’t compare to areas in Florida which, over the past few years, have been hit hard by increasingly destructive and costly hurricanes. Why? I don’t know. Maybe it’s global warming. Maybe it’s poor coastal community planning. Maybe it’s over-development of coastal areas.
I’m not a scientist. But I am a tax attorney. And of all of the states impacted by hurricanes, Florida seems to have made the best use of policy to soften the blows. In fact, for the third consecutive year, Florida is enjoying a sales tax holiday on hurricane supplies – handy since the NOAA is calling for a particularly active hurricane season. Until June 12, you can buy radios, batteries, tarps and other hurricane-related supplies without paying the normal 6% sales tax. The estimated savings to residents? Twenty-five million dollars. For more information, see this release from Florida’s Department of Revenue.
