A survey from AAA Auto Club released on Monday shows how prepared Floridians are for a hurricane and if they would consider evacuating.
Key results from the survey show that 43% of Floridians do not have an emergency plan if a hurricane occurs, 29% would not evacuate their home if they were warned to, and 60% who would evacuate will only do so if the hurricane was a Category 3 or higher.
Some factors that play a role in why Floridians being prepared for a hurricane can depend on the amount of time they spend to protect their home. This includes stocking emergency supplies, searching for a safe room in the house, and securing the house.
Those who do not want to evacuate may not know where to start looking for a hurricane shelter.
“You need to have your evacuation plan in order,” said Jennifer Pintacuda, president of AAA’s Florida-based insurance provider. “Make sure that you know where you would go in the event that you are evacuated. Make sure that you set that up in advance.”
Strong winds and heavy rain from a hurricane can lead to flooding, the No. 1 disaster in the country, AAA says.
According to AAA, many households in Florida are at imminent risk of flooding, and new research shows that “more than 100,000 additional Florida properties are at substantial risk of flooding compared to FEMA’s flood maps.”
“Whether you are in a severe area where you may be prone to a lot of flooding, or you may think flooding won’t happen to you, all of us are susceptible to flooding,” said Pintacuda.
A total of 400 residents participated in this survey.
Hurricane season officially kicked off on Monday will run through Nov. 3.
To learn more about the AAA survey, you can click here.
