Here’s why Ocala is attracting national news attention
When it comes to hurricanes, the national media usually focuses on Florida towns that suffer major hits. But the Wall Street Journal has just published a long article about Ocala/Marion County for the opposite reason – because the area usually escapes hurricane damage.
The article, which went online Wednesday night and was in print on Friday, describes this area’s relatively low risk of flooding, hurricanes and wind damage. It also highlights Ocala/ Marion’s natural beauty, horse farms, relatively low housing prices and friendly residents. All those factors and more are reasons people cite for moving here from other, more weather-exposed parts of Florida, the article notes.
The online headline: “Why this Florida city is a safe haven from hurricanes.”
The Daily Mail from the United Kingdom picked up on the WSJ story and published a story of its own, headlined “Why is THIS Florida city a ‘safe haven’ from hurricanes while others in the state struggle to insure their storm-battered properties?”
Exposure like this “keeps Ocala on a lot of people’s radars,” said Bartow McDonald, managing director of Ocalabased SVN | McDonald & Company, which specializes in land and commercial real estate.
“People are constantly on the search for the next piece of paradise,” McDonald said, and Ocala checks a lot of the boxes they are looking to fill.
Kevin Sheilley, president and CEO of the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership (CEP), also was happy to read the story.
“We are very pleased to see the Wall Street Journal featuring Ocala as a ‘save haven’ from severe climate events,” he said. “We know this is important to families looking to relocate to our community but also to businesses. In fact, it is now part of our marketing to highlight the weather facts we enjoy here compared to other communities.”