Hello Friends & Jupiter Island Residents:
As we enter the month of June and another hurricane season begins, we are reminded that our beautiful home here on the Island is often a target of named storms during hurricane season. There has already been a very small storm in the Gulf and experts predict that this 2023 hurricane season will be “full of surprises.” In fact, just recently, NOAA officially declared that an El Niño event is underway because “sea surface temperature anomalies in critical parts of the Pacific Ocean” have warmed enough to reach those levels.
Hurricane expert John Morales of the NBC6 news station in South Florida said, “Storms forming on this warmer planet have a greater propensity to reach devastating intensities. Like Andrew, which was an El Niño hurricane. And Ian, which was a La Niña one.” This is a great reminder to stay on high alert here as we move into the heart of hurricane season this summer.
It is also a good reminder of this sensitive estuary that we are proud to call home on the Island and how important our beach renourishment and other programs are to maintaining the natural habitat of our native wildlife and plant life.
We want to thank Mayor Penny Townsend for sharing her perspective at the Mayor’s Breakfast earlier this week about the growth in Florida and Martin County and how much of that growth will continue to affect us here on Jupiter Island as well. It is important for us all to work together as a community to prepare for future growth even as we continue to protect our one-of-a-kind ecosystem.
This week, Acting Town Manager Bob Garlo also highlighted the many hiking trails we have in the County and the opportunities residents and visitors alike have to experience some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the world just by lacing up their sneakers. Those who want to experience some of those hikes can find them here, thanks to the work of the Martin County Office of Tourism and Marketing.
Please let us know any other questions you may have or information you may be interested in getting from in these emails.
Sincerely,
Jupiter Island Forever Leaders