Hurricane Survey Says We're Still Not Ready

If you listen to the news or read the newspaper, you've probably heard about the 2005 Hurricane Survey Results. It was widely reported that the people who live in hurricane prone states are not ready. The news had a tendency to focus on Florida since the state was ravaged by four hurricanes in a row during 2004.

Although I believe we still have a long way to go, I think Floridians are far more prepared today than they were in 2004 based on discussions I've had with friends and colleagues. From a personal perspective, my family now owns two generators, several battery powered lamps, plenty of coolers and a plan in the event of a hurricane. That's just a few of the items we added to our hurricane arsenal since 2004.

Below are the actual survey results. To put this in perspective, only 1,100 total adults in the hurricane regions were polled. That's across 18 states -- not a huge sample in my opinion. In Florida, the most talked about state, a mere 100 people were included in the survey according to the St Petersburg Times -- Florida population is over 17 million people -- a pretty tiny sample.

So take a look at the survey below. The response percentages are included too. You might even want to take this survey with your family. It would be a good preparation exercise. And keep in mind that the answer with the highest response isn't necessarily the correct answer. I've included the correct answers at the very bottom of the page.

Finally, whether you agree with the results or not, the key message is that all of us need to be prepared for whatever the 2005 hurricane season will bring us.

-- Denise O'Berry, Founder

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April 2005 Hurricane Awareness Poll Results -- 1,100 adults in Atlantic and Gulf coastal states interviewed by telephone April 20-26, 2005 by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Inc. of Washington, D.C. The margin for error is +/-3%.

1. Have you ever experienced any of the following?

- A Tropical Storm? Yes - 62% | No - 38%
- A Minimal/Category 1 hurricane? Yes - 53% | No - 47%
- A Category 2 hurricane? Yes - 37% | No - 63%
- A Major/Category 3 or higher hurricane? Yes - 32% | No - 68%


2. How vulnerable do you feel to damage from a hurricane or related tornado or flooding hazards? Do you feel:


Extremely Vulnerable 12%
Somewhat Vulnerable 31%
Not Too Vulnerable 32%
Not At All Vulnerable 24%
Not Sure 1%

3. Do you have a plan for what you would do if a serious hurricane threatened your home, or not?

Yes 53%
No 47%

4. When would you begin to prepare your home for a hurricane?

19% - When a hurricane watch is issued
32% - When a hurricane warning is issued
22% - Your home is already prepared and could be secured within a few hours
26% - You won’t make any special preparations to your home
1% - Not Sure

5. When would you evacuate?

7% - If a hurricane watch was issued for your area
10% - If a hurricane warning was issued for your area
21% - If a Category 3 hurricane or stronger was going to hit your home within 24 hours
42% - If emergency management officials ordered you to evacuate
19% - Probably never
1% - Not Sure

6. If you needed to evacuate, where would you go?

33% - To a local shelter
19% - To the house of a nearby friend
27% - As far as possible - trying to outsmart the path of the storm
14% - You would not leave under any circumstances
7% - Not Sure

The following questions are a short quiz that was used to determine how much the respondents knew about hurricanes and hurricane safety.

7. The biggest potential threat to human life from a land-falling hurricane is:

A - Wind 32%
B - Tornadoes 24%
C - Storm Surge 20%
D - Inland flooding 24%

8. The structural component that most often fails during hurricane force winds is:

A - Garage door 4%
B - A windward-facing wall 1%
C - Roof 49%
D - Windows 46%

9. During an approaching major hurricane, low-lying escape routes are usually cut off:

A - At landfall 9%
B - Near the eye of the storm 6%
C - 30 minutes to one hour before landfall 24%
D - At least three hours before landfall and much earlier than that in vulnerable areas 61%

10. For those ordered to evacuate, the best option is to:

A - Travel as far inland as possible as fast as possible 24%
B - Choose a route at right angles to the projected path of the storm 12%
C - Drive immediately to the nearest designated shelter 30%
D - Arrange in advance to stay with a nearby friend whose home is outside the evacuation zone 34%

11. Preparations to prevent serious property damage during a hurricane can be accomplished:

A - Within the time provided by a Hurricane Watch 37%
B - Within the time provided by a Hurricane Warning 23%
C - In most cases, only with weeks of planning, inspection and retrofitting 40%

12. One item your Disaster Preparation Kit should not contain is:

A - Cash 19%
B - Candles 22%
C - Keys 26%
D - Important documents 33%

13. Hurricane forecasting experts generally agree that:

A - The active 2004 Hurricane Season was a fluke that will not be repeated anytime soon 8%
B - We have entered an era of declining hurricane activity 1%
C - Hurricane activity has remained fairly consistent for more than a century 23%
D - We have entered an era of increasing hurricane activity 68%

14. Geographically, the majority of hurricane fatalities from drowning in the past 33 years have occurred:

A - On the open water 7%
B - Within two miles of the coast 19%
C - In inland counties 15%
D - In coastal counties 59%

15. Of the 10 most costly catastrophes in the United States, how of them many were Hurricanes or Tropical Storms?

A - One 1%
B - Three 25%
C - Five 39%
D - Eight 35%

16. If you are not ordered to evacuate, the safest place in a home to ride out a hurricane is:

A - Inside your car in the garage 0
B - The exterior room farthest away from the direction of the strongest wind 8%
C - The most interior room of the house 42%
D - The basement 50%

17. What type of hazard during a hurricane does standard homeowners insurance not cover?

A - Lightning 17%
B - Flooding 60%
C - Wind 8%
D - Falling trees 15%

18. Most tornadoes associated with land-falling hurricanes are spawned:

A - In rain bands that can occur hundreds of miles from the eye of the storm 29%
B - In the eye wall 12%
C - Within 1 mile of the eye of the storm 22%
D - Within 3 miles of the eye of the storm 37%

19. Although forecasting has improved greatly in recent years, the projection you can rely least on is:

A - Direction of the storm 39%
B - Intensity at landfall 18%
C - Duration of the storm 22%
D - Forward speed 21%

20. A hurricane watch means:

A - Hurricane season has begun 5%
B - A hurricane has formed over open water 16%
C - A hurricane may strike somewhere in the United States within a few days 11%
D - Hurricane conditions are possible in your area within 36 hours 68%

21. A hurricane warning means:

A - A hurricane has formed over open water 8%
B - A hurricane may strike somewhere in the United States within a few days 7%
C - A hurricane may strike your area within 36 hours 23%
D - Hurricane conditions are expected in your area within 24 hours 62%

22. Where should you take your pets if you must evacuate?

A - To a safe location that has agreed or been designated to accept pets during a storm 36%
B - To the shelter where you’ll be staying 35%
C - To the local animal shelter 7%
D - To your veterinarian’s office 7%
E - Leave them in your home with a 3-day supply of food and water. 15%

23. True or False? Masking tape will help prevent windows from shattering.

True 54%
False 46%


24. True or False? Some insurance companies offer significant discounts on home insurance for hurricane proofing your home.

True 69%
False 31%

25. True or False? Candles are a good source of light in the event of a power failure.

True 56%
False 44%

26. True or False? Opening a window on the sheltered side of house lessens the potential for wind damage.

True 38%
False 62%

Source: The National Hurricane Survival Initiative - to get a complete copy of the survey results file (PDF), click here.

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Correct answers to the Hurricane Survey. Questions 1 though 6 were survey questions. Answers to the quiz begin with question 7.

7. C - Storm Surge, 8. A - Garage Door, 9. D. At least three hours before landfall, 10. D - Arrange in advance to stay with a nearby friend, 11. C- In most cases only with weeks of planning, 12. B - Candles, 13. D - We have entered an era of increasing hurricane activity, 14. C- In inland counties, 15. D - Eight, 16. C - The most interior room of the house, 17. B - Flooding, 18. A - In rain bands that can occur hundreds of miles from the eye of the storm, 19. B - Intensity at landfall, 20. C - Hurricane conditions are possible in your area within 36 hours, 21. D - Hurricane conditions are expected in your area within 24 hours, 22. A - To a safe location that has agreed or been designated to accept pets during a storm, 23. False, 24. True, 25. False, 26. False