Why do we launch rockets from Florida?

Why do we launch rockets in Florida? I remember as a kid just not getting it as I watched these rocket launches get scrubbed due to bad weather. I was like, you guys know that's Florida, right? That's where they get the hurricanes and the thunderstorms. And you know one of the Apollo missions got hit by a lightning strike on its way out of the atmosphere. It's unbelievable.

But there are two very good reasons why they launch rockets from here. The first is because the ground beneath our feet is moving to the east very fast. Everything is going about 900 miles per hour—that's 1,500 kilometers per hour. And that means as your rocket takes off up and to the east, it starts off with that velocity. The Earth is giving that rocket an initial boost, so you don't have to put in as much energy. You don't have to speed it up as much.

Now, the other thing is, if you're gonna fly to the east and something goes wrong with that rocket, you're going to want it to not hurt anything. What's nice about Florida is what you have over there is ocean, not the rest of your country.