May 28, 2009 11:48 am US/Eastern
Poll: Residents Grossly Unprepared For Hurricanes
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
The first tropical system of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season formed on Thursday, just days before the official start of hurricane season. And even after being threatened by five major hurricanes in 2008, a large percentage of coastal residents are "grossly" unprepared for the 2009 season, according to a new Mason-Dixon poll.
Poll numbers showed that 83 percent said they have not taken any steps in the past year to make their homes stronger, even after the 2008 season. 65 percent have no hurricane survival kit and 62 percent say they don't feel vulnerable to a hurricane or related tornadoes or flooding. In addition, over half of those surveyed said they do not have a family disaster plan.
One area that many people may not think about until after a storm passes is insurance. The Mason-Dixon poll showed that 49 percent of people are not sure if their homeowners insurance requires repairs to be made to prevent further damage before you can be compensated. Nearly 50 percent of homeowners don't have insurance that covers damage caused by flood and 22 percent said they weren't sure if their insurance was enough to rebuild their home as it currently stands.
The Mason-Dixon poll also found that many residents in hurricane prone areas still don't understand hurricanes and storm preparedness. 97 percent of those surveyed didn't know that garage doors are the structural component most likely to fail. An additional 70 percent didn't know storm surge is often the most dangerous part of a storm.
31 percent of residents surveyed said they will not make any special preparations to their home, while 24 percent said they would not begin to prepare their home until a hurricane warning was issued.
When it came to evacuations, 86 percent of pet owners said they would take their pets with them and hope to find a shelter/hotel that would accept pets. However, only a few shelters accept pets, so knowing where you can/can't go is crucial when you are making your preparations.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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