No place is more vulnerable to hurricanes in the 50 U.S. states than the Florida Keys.
The chain of islands celebrated by singer Jimmy Buffett in his odes to tropical escapism is surrounded by water, jutting out 120 miles southwesterly from Florida’s mainland to Key West with the Gulf and Atlantic Ocean on either side.
The archipelago historically has been known for its quirky and libertarian inhabitants who revel in the islands’ hedonistic, artistic and outdoorsy lifestyle. In recent years, it also has become a haven for the wealthy.
Overseeing safety for the more than 80,000 inhabitants of the Conch Republic — the nickname for the islands a…