Poll finds most Floridians ready for hurricanes

[Aquawind]

With pain comes progress...

Paul

Poll finds most Floridians ready for hurricanes

By Jason Garcia
Orlando Sentinel
Posted June 23 2005, 12:05 PM EDT


TALLAHASSEE -- Floridians are more afraid of -- but better prepared for -- a hurricane strike this season compared with people living in other states along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, a poll released Wednesday found.

More than half of Florida residents, or 54 percent, said they feel extremely or somewhat vulnerable to damage from a hurricane, the survey showed. Just 9 percent said they don't feel vulnerable at all.

The poll, conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research for the Orlando Sentinel and WESH 2 News, has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

A similar poll conducted in April of people living in other coastal states from Texas to Maine found that 42 percent felt somewhat or extremely vulnerable to hurricanes. More than a quarter, or 26 percent, said they don't feel threatened at all by a storm.

The Florida results reveal the deep scars that hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne left in the one state that each pummeled in a six-week stretch last year. Eight of every 10 Floridians surveyed said they experienced at least one major storm.

Last year "really took its toll on everyone," said one poll respondent, Janice Cheshire.

The 38-year-old elementary-school teacher lives on Merritt Island in Brevard County, not too far north of where both Frances and Jeanne roared ashore. The storms blew over her fence and left her garage leaking.

"They didn't just threaten -- they actually came," Cheshire said.

But as vulnerable as Floridians feel, they also appear better prepared than the rest of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coastline for another hit.

For instance, 82 percent of residents said they have a plan for what to do if a serious hurricane threatens their home, compared with just 48 percent who do in other states. And 42 percent of Floridians said they have already prepared their home for a hurricane and could secure it within hours, more than twice as many who said the same elsewhere along the coast.

"I think everyone is definitely ready," Cheshire said. "How Florida was impacted last year made us want to be ready."

Cheshire already has made plans to stay with family members farther inland if a major storm threatens again this year. She also spent $650 to buy a generator during the sales-tax holiday for hurricane supplies earlier this month.

The 12-day holiday, during which people could buy everything from flashlights to ice chests without paying sales tax, proved popular, according to the poll. Though just 26 percent of respondents statewide said they took advantage of it, more than three-quarters said the state should offer the holiday every year.

But emergency-management officials said the poll showed Florida still has plenty of work to do before the next hurricane strike.

For instance, although 82 percent said they have made plans in case of a serious hurricane, that leaves 18 percent who said they had not.

"That's still 18 percent too many," said Frank Lepore, a public-affairs officer for the National Hurricane Center.

In addition, when asked at what point before an impending storm they would evacuate, 21 percent of Floridians said "probably never." And when asked where they would go if they needed to evacuate, 18 percent said they would not leave "under any circumstances."

"A very sizable percentage of the population is placing themselves at direct risk that is wholly preventable," Lepore said. "You're just gambling with your life, is the bottom line."

The survey also revealed frustration with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Although FEMA has committed more than $5 billion to the recovery effort since August, it has been criticized for paying fraudulent claims in South Florida and footing funeral bills for deaths that medical examiners said were not caused by hurricanes.

Respondents were split on FEMA's performance, with 41 percent rating it as "excellent" or "good," and 43 percent calling it "fair" or "poor."


People who actually filed claims with the federal relief agency were even harsher. More than half, 54 percent, said they did not feel fairly compensated, compared with 46 percent who said they were. And people were evenly divided on whether they thought FEMA operates efficiently.

"Anytime you're in a business and 50 percent of your customer base isn't happy, you've got a problem," said pollster Brad Coker, Mason-Dixon's managing director. "They need to take a look at some things."

A FEMA official defended the agency's work, saying that the hurricanes produced the largest disaster-response effort in its history -- even bigger than that for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. So, she said, some frustration was inevitable.

"I think people forget how massive these storms were," spokeswoman Nicol Andrews said.

Jason Garcia can be reachedat jrgarcia@orlandosentinel.comor 850-222-5564.


http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/ ... news-front

[Swimdude]

Goodness gracious, of course they're more prepared! After a year like 2004...

[patsmsg]

...and somone who has been burgalarized is more likely to feel the need for better locks, someone who has had a heart attack related to obesity is more likely to see the need to modify their diet, someone who has witnessed a shark attack is less likely to go wade fishing, etc....

I hope they didn't spend a lot of time and resources on this study

[T'Bonz]

I'm ready...that is if it EVER stops raining down here so we can get our hurricane shutters installed.

[HurriCat]

Speaking of surveys - I saw one here in Florida - no joke - that was like 30 to 40 grand - that determined "You are more likely to drown without a life-preserver than if you are wearing one".

[patsmsg]

Speaking of surveys - I saw one here in Florida - no joke - that was like 30 to 40 grand - that determined "You are more likely to drown without a life-preserver than if you are wearing one".

I want to laugh, but that's not really funny when the taxpayers probably footed the bill. I'm in the wrong business, I should be making useless but profitable studies.

[EDR1222]

Speaking of surveys - I saw one here in Florida - no joke - that was like 30 to 40 grand - that determined "You are more likely to drown without a life-preserver than if you are wearing one".

I want to laugh, but that's not really funny when the taxpayers probably footed the bill. I'm in the wrong business, I should be making useless but profitable studies.

Sounds like the right business to be in!

[alicia-w]

Interesting, here is something that indicates the opposite:

http://www.myhurricanecenter.com/2005survey.php