Hurricane Milton and the Resilience of Babcock Ranch

As Hurricane Milton made landfall last Wednesday, approximately 2,000 residents of Florida sought refuge in Babcock Ranch, a remarkable community the size of Manhattan that was established in 2018 with the express purpose of weathering climate-driven storms. Evacuees found shelter in two designated buildings organized by the Florida Division of Emergency Management: a K-12 school that accommodated about 400 individuals and a sprawling 40,000-square-foot sports facility that housed around 1,600 more. Many of those fleeing the wrath of the storm were from Fort Myers, a coastal city located about 15 miles to the southwest, which was under a mandatory evacuation order.

“When Governor DeSantis announced that Babcock Ranch was open for evacuees, we experienced a significant influx of people seeking safety,” stated Syd Kitson, the co-founder of the town. He further estimated that hundreds of additional evacuees found shelter in the private homes of the town’s approximately 10,000 residents. “This initiative undoubtedly saved many lives in some extremely hazardous areas.”

A Red Cross van was stationed outside a Babcock Ranch building designated by Florida Emergency Management Services to assist those displaced by Hurricane Milton.

Infrastructure Designed for Resilience

All structures within Babcock Ranch have been meticulously engineered to endure hurricane-force winds exceeding 150 miles per hour. The community benefits from an impressive 150-megawatt solar farm and an underground transmission system, ensuring that residents rarely experience power outages. Additionally, roughly 90 percent of the land is preserved wetland, which plays a crucial role in collecting excess water and preventing flooding. After the onslaught of Hurricane Milton, the town encountered some downed trees and traffic light issues, but remarkably, they did not lose power throughout the ordeal.

Community Preparedness