Florida is basically a playground for residents and tourists. Its beautiful cities, parks, and waterways draw people out to recreate in the great outdoors all year round. However, some spots in Florida are dangerous. From traffic fatalities to violent crime to natural disasters, here are eight of Florida’s most dangerous and deadly places. How many of them do you frequent?
1. Mangonia Park
According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, you have a 1 in 24 chance of being a victim of violent crime in Mangonia Park. The unemployment rate in this town is 26.7%, and 31.4% of its residents have less than a high school education.
2. I-95 In The Jacksonville Area
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this stretch of highway has the highest fatality rate in the country. The Florida Highway Patrol reported 1,713 accidents between April 2014 and April 2015. Those crashes included 573 injuries and 25 fatalities.
3. Fuller Warren Bridge
Speaking of I-95, Fuller Warren Bridge is particularly dangerous. The bridge handles about 150,000 vehicles every day; 280 accidents were reported there last year.
4. Your Backyard
Mosquitoes carry dangerous and deadly viruses including West Nile, Eastern equine encephalitis and St. Louis encephalitis. Most summers, Jefferson, Bay, Polk, St. John’s and Monroe county health departments all issue mosquito-borne illness advisories. Standing water, in pools, buckets and other containers all draw mosquitoes.
5. Everglades National Park
Florida’s 1.5 million acre park is home to all kinds of things that will kill you: snakes, alligators and mosquitoes. However, these dangerous animals aren’t the main cause of injury and death; you’re much more likely to get lost, suffer a fall or drown. Learn more about the beautiful side of this park in this article!
6. Vista del Lago Blvd And Route 192
This intersection is one of five that once made TIME magazine’s list of Most Dangerous Intersections in the Country. Accidents, both vehicle and pedestrian, are commonplace here, and fatalities average about six per year. Yikes!
7. Florida Coast
Hurricanes are both dangerous and deadly...and an occasional occurrence along Florida’s coast. Several particularly brutal hurricanes have brought Florida to its knees throughout the years. The 1935 category 5 hurricane in the Florida Keys region killed more than 400 people. Hurricane Andrew in 1992 was the second costliest in U.S. History, and Hurricane Wilma caused $16.8 billion in damages, particularly in Broward county. These are just a few of the many hurricanes that Florida has faced in its history. Click here to learn about the five worst hurricanes to ever strike Florida.
8. Florida’s Lakes, Ponds and Swamps
Alligator attacks are actually fairly rare in Florida; just 24 people have been killed by these beasts since 1948. The attacks occur in lakes, swamps, ponds and near bodies of water---which of course, are commonplace across the state.
Want to learn more about some of Florida’s dangerous places? Here’s a list of the Most Dangerous Towns In Florida.
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