SHARE:
Monday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Hurricane Ian blamed for 156 deaths, $112 billion in damage, NHC report says
The National Hurricane Center on Monday released its report on the death and destruction caused by Hurricane Ian in 2022 blaming the storm for at least 156 deaths and more than $112 billion in damage in the United States. That makes it the costliest hurricane in Florida history and third costliest in U.S. history behind Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the report stated. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Osceola Airbnb hosts earned $64 million in 2022, company says
Osceola hosts performed just above the national average of $14,000. In total, Osceola was the second highest earning county in Florida, taking in $64 million for hosts with only one listing, behind Miami-Dade with $76 million, Airbnb reported. Haven Thorn, a spokesperson for the company, would not give totals for all earners but said hosts with single listings made up more than 70% of operators on the platform. Airbnb hosts in Florida brought in more than $3 billion last year, the company said. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Tampa Bay socioeconomic snapshot: Not bad — but lots of room to get better
The Tampa Bay Partnership’s 2023 Regional Competitiveness Report paints a complicated picture of a region faced with a growing array of challenges and concerns driven, in part, by a few remarkably positive trends. The partnership is presenting the report’s findings to economic development organizations, chambers of commerce, private industry and “everybody who’ll listen,” says partnership President and CEO Bemetra Simmons. More from the Business Observer.
Miami startup brings in the smart tech to ease property management burdens
The dishwasher is broken. Who are you going to call? Whether you are the tenant or the guest, the landlord or the property manager, managing and maintaining a leased or short-term rental property isn’t easy. Yari Carrizo and Daniel Detoni are on a mission to reimagine property management. With their technology startup, Tennts, the founders aim to help landlords optimize the potential of their properties and improve the rental experience for tenants. More from the Miami Herald.
Gainesville and St. Augustine beer distributor sold after more than 50 years in business
The sale of longtime Gainesville and St. Augustine Anheuser-Busch InBev distributor Burkhardt Sales & Service officially closed Friday and its territory split among three other Florida distribution companies. Burkhardt's service area included Alachua, Gilchrist and St. Johns counties, and portions of Columbia, Union, Bradford, Duval, Clay and Putnam counties. More from the Ganiesville Sun.
Out of the Box
As the St. Petersburg Stamp Club turns 100, why collecting lives on
Most people in 2023 don’t pay much attention to them. If we even get snail mail, the stamp is an afterthought, a mere transaction. We all have that forgotten roll of American flag squares nestled up against three old buttons and a coupon for dry cleaning in the back of a kitchen drawer. And yet, the 100 members of the St. Petersburg Stamp Club do not see stamps in such a cavalier way.
» More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Envioronmental Trends
Cuban treefrog climbs to new invasive heights in Florida
As the world warms, a bug-eyed, warty, foreign frog has leapt to new heights of ecological and urban annoyance in Florida, a new study shows. So as the infamous Cuban treefrog nudges out Florida's native frogs, little local lizards and other species that belong here, a higher frequency of this exotic frog's obnoxious croaks is sure to make those they keep up at night hopping mad.
» Read more from Florida Today.
In case you missed it:
