2010 Hurricane Preparedness Survey Results

FLORIDA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RELEASES
2010 HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS SURVEY RESULTS

Newly Released Survey Compares 2006 Household Preparedness Levels to 2010

TALLAHASSEE - The Florida Division of Emergency Management today released the results of a recent poll assessing hurricane preparedness among Florida’s residents.  The 2010 survey conducted by the Hazards Management Group, Inc. provides both an up-to-date measure of household preparedness in Florida and a comparison to preparedness indicators documented in 2006. The 2006 survey followed the unusually active hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005, which might reasonably have led to a heightened level of preparedness in advance of the 2006 hurricane season.
 
Key findings include:

Current Preparedness: In general, Florida residents said they are well-prepared for the aftermath of a hurricane or other disaster. People were most likely to say they have emergency lighting, important papers, prescription medicines, battery-powered radios, and adequate gasoline in their cars. They were less likely to say they have sufficient water and ice currently on hand. Preparedness levels were very similar to those reported by residents in 2006. Age, homeownership, income, and race were more strongly related to preparedness than other factors.

Expectations about Disaster Relief: Most Floridians believe it is reasonable for agencies and organizations to have relief supplies available within 48 hours of a hurricane. However, an even larger majority don’t actually expect assistance that soon. They expect to be on their own for at least three days. Similar attitudes were expressed in 2006.
 
Sources of Information: A large majority of residents said they’ve seen television programs and printed materials about hurricanes and how to prepare for them, but few have seen information in their telephone books or gone to public libraries for hurricane information. Most respondents said they have access to the Internet, but few have visited their county or state emergency management agency websites to look up hurricane information. Similar results were found in 2006.

Perceived Vulnerability: Too few residents living in category 1-3 evacuation zones comprehend their vulnerability to category 3 hurricanes. In 2010, fewer inland residents said they would be unsafe, compared to 2006, and more category 1-3 residents said their homes would flood in 2010 than in 2006.

Watches and Warnings: Very few people know the lead times for watches and warnings (about the same as in 2006), and even fewer were aware the lead times are changing in 2010. Many residents expect to make earlier evacuation decisions if lead times are increased.