A new survey from Miami’s Florida International University finds residents of coastal states are largely indifferent toward the threat presented by hurricanes. The survey found two-thirds of residents don't see hurricanes as a major threat and over half wouldn't flee in the face of a major storm unless the government made them. The poll also showed that almost half of respondents didn’t know whether storm damage was covered by their homeowners insurance policy.
The six-month hurricane season started Monday June 1, but the annual Mason-Dixon poll of residents from Maine to Texas found that many people remain unprepared, even unconcerned, about a strike from a major hurricane.
The initiative, a coalition of government and relief organizations and corporations that promote hurricane awareness and safety planning, released the poll at FIU’s International Hurricane Research Center. It shows that while the number of hurricanes has increased over the past decade, public preparation has not followed course. Despite five major hurricanes last year, for instance, the number of people who feel no threat from storms actually rose -- to 62 from 54 percent the previous year.
The poll also revealed a lot of confusion about homeowners’ insurance. Nearly half the respondents weren’t sure if they were covered for hurricane damage and the same number did not have coverage for flood damage. Nearly one in four was uncertain if they had enough insurance to rebuild.
Some other findings:
- 83 percent of respondents have taken no steps to make their homes stronger.
- 55 percent have no family disaster plan;
- 13 percent said they would not evacuate even if ordered to do so.
- 17 percent would wait until 12 to 24 hours before landfall to evacuate -- a choice likely to clog escape routes and leave them stuck in a car when a storm hits.
The poll surveyed 1,100 adults from 18 Gulf and Atlantic coast states who were interviewed May 6-11. The margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points.
Poll: Most Coastal Residents Unprepared for Hurricanes (Miami Herald 5/28/09)
June 2, 2009