A Mason-Dixon poll released yesterday shows that U.S. coastal residents are “grossly unprepared” for the 2009 hurricane season, a reminder of the daunting challenges that will have to be dealt with in the event a major storm makes landfall in the U.S.
The poll was conducted as part of the 2009 National Hurricane Survival Initiative, which was officially launched yesterday at a news conference at the International Hurricane Research Center in Miami. The initiative is aimed at educating residents in hurricane-vulnerable states on things they can do to be better prepared.
Among the poll’s disturbing findings …
-83% have not done anything within the past year to make their homes more hurricane-resistant.
-66% do not have a hurricane survival kit.
-62% do not feel vulnerable to hurricanes or the tornadoes and floods they spawn.
-55% do not have a family disaster plan.
Needless to say, we’ll be making some calls today and over the weekend to get a sense of where South Carolina is on its preparedness efforts. In the meantime, if you’re a coastal resident who’s unsure of whether or not you’re prepared, you might want to click on the link below.
Oh, and for those of you wondering, Mason-Dixon surveyed 1,100 adults in Atlantic and Gulf Coast states between May 6 and May 11, 2009. The margin for error of their poll is plus or minus three percent.
WEB EXTRA
