Tired of hurricanes and high prices, some South Floridians leaving for greener pastures.

Tired of hurricanes and high prices, some South Floridians leaving for greener pastures.
By Liz Doup South Florida Sun-Sentinel Posted June 4 2006

COLUMBIA, Tenn. -- Standing high on a hillside, John Mowery surveys his 91/2 acres, where cattle graze in the backyard and his two-story home is as much sanctuary as shelter."I'm not a religious man but I thank God every morning I'm here and not just dreaming," Mowery says. "I found a piece of heaven."


After 40 years in South Florida, Mowery and wife Lori recently moved to Tennessee, far from crowded streets, heavy development and costly houses.And no hurricanes.As Florida prepares for hurricane season, Mowery, 59, looks forward to a peaceful summer. All because he did what many Floridians only talk about: moving.Two horrific hurricane seasons haven't stopped people from flooding into Florida at the rate of 1,000 a day. But plenty -- 400 a day -- are heading out, to North Carolina, Georgia and points beyond.After the lashing of Hurricane Wilma, the October storm that plunged South Florida into darkness for weeks, a half dozen local families moved near Columbia, about 45 miles south of Nashville."I knew the cycle was getting worse," says Lori Mowery, 49. "I figured we'd end up getting hit good eventually."Moving to rural Tennessee isn't like moving to Atlanta or Charlotte, with their ample shopping, entertainment and a melting pot of people.Going to Columbia means going country. Floridians here want more than a new address. They want a new way of life.In this town of 38,000, tidy red brick homes nestle among rolling hills.Here, adults and children alike say "Yes, sir" and "No ma'am" and wave at strangers. The big annual event is Mule Day, which features 400 mules parading down Main Street.Here, deep religious faith trumps deep pockets, and, with more than 100 churches in town, you see pastors, not plastic surgeons. This town is more catfish than caviar."We're not the beautiful people," says Alton Kelley, executive director of the Middle Tennessee Convention and Visitors Bureau. "There aren't 10 BMWs in town and we like it that way. The bling ends many miles from our borders."DIFFERENT LIFESTYLEThe Mowerys discovered Columbia on vacation and decided to put down roots. Their grown son and daughter wanted to settle there, too, and relocated their young families from South Florida.Hurricanes alone didn't blow these folks north. Tennessee, after all, has tornadoes. Rather, it took a perfect storm of events to make moving day look so good.They cashed in on sky-high priced Florida homes, then bought more for less. Mowery, for instance, paid $190,000 for the land and house. He sold his home in the Acreage, in western Palm Beach County, for $410,000 and moved his trucking business with him.His home insurance: $800 now compared with $3,200. Property taxes: $1,100 compared with $2,500 for a home on 11/4 acres. Nor will he face insurance sticker shock in days to come.But it isn't all about money. The transplants want safer streets, smaller schools and a friendlier atmosphere.