Two-thirds of coastal state residents feel no hurricane threat

MIAMI – May 29, 2009 – Hurricanes may flood entire cities, rip off roofs and level trees every year, but when it comes to overcoming public apathy, they’re stunningly powerless.

Two-thirds of residents in coastal states feel no threat from storms. More than half don’t have a hurricane survival kit or know whether their homeowner’s insurance covers storm damage.

Those are some of the key findings from a new poll to be released Thursday at Florida International University in Miami.

The six-month hurricane season starts Monday, but the Mason-Dixon poll of residents from Maine to Texas found that most remain unprepared, even unconcerned, about a strike from a major hurricane.

“It seems Americans need an urgent reminder every year about something that we ought to get by now,” said Ron Sachs, a Tallahassee, Fla.-based media consultant who is national coordinator for the National Hurricane Survival Initiative, which commissioned the poll. “It’s not called the mean season for nothing.”

The initiative, a coalition of government and relief organizations and corporations that promote hurricane awareness and safety planning, will release the complete poll at FIU’s International Hurricane Research Center.

It shows that while the number of hurricanes has jumped upward over the last 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.

Some other results:

• 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

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 3 percentage points.

Florida Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp is scheduled to join weather forecasters and emergency managers, insurance executives and others to provide the full results and urge residents to prepare for hurricane season.

Partners in the initiative include the National Hurricane Center, the Salvation Army, the National Emergency Management Agency and FIU’s International Hurricane Research Center. Corporate sponsors include Travelers Insurance and Plylox.

© 2009 The Miami Herald