Poll: Coast Not Ready For Hurricanes
desandrews
Posts: 143
Yet it's everyone's fault but their own when the shit hits the fans. Blame the government, blame the insurance industry but God forbid that you ask people to be responsible for themselves and at least try to help mitigate the potential danger.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070531/ap_on_re_us/hurricane_preparedness_poll
MIAMI - Most people along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts still lack a hurricane survival plan and don't feel vulnerable to storms, despite Katrina's dramatic damage and pleas from emergency officials for residents to prepare before the season starts, according to a poll released Thursday.
The six-month Atlantic season starts Friday, and forecasters have predicted an above-average year: 13 to 17 named storms, with seven to 10 of them becoming hurricanes and three to five of those major ones of at least Category 3 strength. One forecaster said odds were high that a major hurricane would hit the U.S. this year.
Nevertheless, 53 percent of those surveyed in 18 Atlantic and Gulf Coast states say they don't feel that they are vulnerable to a hurricane, or to related tornadoes and flooding, according to the Mason-Dixon poll.
Eighty-eight percent said they had not taken any steps to fortify their homes, and 45 percent still believed the old wives' tale that masking tape helps keeps windows from shattering during hurricanes.
National Hurricane Center Director Bill Proenza said a population shift to the nation's coastlines may be contributing to the lack of storm readiness.
"We actually have more and more people ... with little or no experience with hurricanes and tropical storms," Proenza said.
But only a small amount of people, 16 percent, said they would defy orders to evacuate.
Cathy Miller, who lives on North Carolina's narrow Ocracoke Island, accessible only by ferry, is one of them — unless it's a Category 4 or worse hurricane.
"I've never evacuated," Miller said. "Every time I say that, though, I knock on wood."
Public safety officials tell residents to stockpile at least a three-day supply of bottled water, nonperishable food and medicine. In Florida, officials urged residents to take advantage of a state sales tax holiday from Friday to June 12 on flashlights, gasoline cans, weather radios, plastic tarps and other storm preparedness items.
Nearly half of hurricanes that made landfall in the U.S. hit Florida, and its residents were more prepared than people in other states. About two-thirds of Floridians had a disaster plan, prepared a survival kit or said they felt vulnerable to hurricanes, the poll found.
Nationally, 61 percent of poll respondents had no hurricane survival kit. Of those who did, 82 percent packed a fire hazard — candles or kerosene lamps. Missing from most of those kits were axes, which emergency officials recommended after many residents were trapped in their attics after Katrina.
Despite the predictions for a busy season, public safety officials worry that an uneventful 2006 lulled residents into complacency; there were only 10 named storms, and the two that hit the U.S. were weak.
Researcher William Gray, based at Colorado State University, said Thursday there was a 74 percent chance of a major hurricane hitting the U.S. coast this year. His updated forecast still predicts 17 named storms and nine hurricanes, five of them intense.
There is a 50 percent chance of a major hurricane making landfall on the East Coast, including the Florida Peninsula, according to the new forecast; the long-term average is 31 percent. The chance of a major hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast between the Florida Panhandle and Brownsville, Texas, is 49 percent; the long-term average is 30 percent. There is also an above-average chance of a major hurricane making landfall in the Caribbean, Gray said.
In 2004, there were 15 named storms, four of them hurricanes that struck Florida. The 2005 season set a record with 28 named storms, 15 of them hurricanes; four of those hurricanes hit the U.S. coast, including Katrina, the third deadliest in U.S. history with a death toll topping 1,500.
"Nobody in this country thought we could lose 1,000 people in a hurricane," said Craig Fugate, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. "We had too much technology, too good data, satellites and the best warning system in the world — and it happened. Preparation is how we change that."
The poll was commissioned by the organizers of the 2007 National Hurricane Survival Initiative. The group includes the National Hurricane Center, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Emergency Management Association, the Salvation Army and others.
The May 10-15 telephone poll of 1,100 people has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The Florida poll of 625 people from May 13-15 had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
___
Associated Press writer Mike Baker in Raleigh, N.C., contributed to this report.
___
On the Net:
National Hurricane Survival Initiative: http://www.hurricanesafety.org
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070531/ap_on_re_us/hurricane_preparedness_poll
MIAMI - Most people along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts still lack a hurricane survival plan and don't feel vulnerable to storms, despite Katrina's dramatic damage and pleas from emergency officials for residents to prepare before the season starts, according to a poll released Thursday.
The six-month Atlantic season starts Friday, and forecasters have predicted an above-average year: 13 to 17 named storms, with seven to 10 of them becoming hurricanes and three to five of those major ones of at least Category 3 strength. One forecaster said odds were high that a major hurricane would hit the U.S. this year.
Nevertheless, 53 percent of those surveyed in 18 Atlantic and Gulf Coast states say they don't feel that they are vulnerable to a hurricane, or to related tornadoes and flooding, according to the Mason-Dixon poll.
Eighty-eight percent said they had not taken any steps to fortify their homes, and 45 percent still believed the old wives' tale that masking tape helps keeps windows from shattering during hurricanes.
National Hurricane Center Director Bill Proenza said a population shift to the nation's coastlines may be contributing to the lack of storm readiness.
"We actually have more and more people ... with little or no experience with hurricanes and tropical storms," Proenza said.
But only a small amount of people, 16 percent, said they would defy orders to evacuate.
Cathy Miller, who lives on North Carolina's narrow Ocracoke Island, accessible only by ferry, is one of them — unless it's a Category 4 or worse hurricane.
"I've never evacuated," Miller said. "Every time I say that, though, I knock on wood."
Public safety officials tell residents to stockpile at least a three-day supply of bottled water, nonperishable food and medicine. In Florida, officials urged residents to take advantage of a state sales tax holiday from Friday to June 12 on flashlights, gasoline cans, weather radios, plastic tarps and other storm preparedness items.
Nearly half of hurricanes that made landfall in the U.S. hit Florida, and its residents were more prepared than people in other states. About two-thirds of Floridians had a disaster plan, prepared a survival kit or said they felt vulnerable to hurricanes, the poll found.
Nationally, 61 percent of poll respondents had no hurricane survival kit. Of those who did, 82 percent packed a fire hazard — candles or kerosene lamps. Missing from most of those kits were axes, which emergency officials recommended after many residents were trapped in their attics after Katrina.
Despite the predictions for a busy season, public safety officials worry that an uneventful 2006 lulled residents into complacency; there were only 10 named storms, and the two that hit the U.S. were weak.
Researcher William Gray, based at Colorado State University, said Thursday there was a 74 percent chance of a major hurricane hitting the U.S. coast this year. His updated forecast still predicts 17 named storms and nine hurricanes, five of them intense.
There is a 50 percent chance of a major hurricane making landfall on the East Coast, including the Florida Peninsula, according to the new forecast; the long-term average is 31 percent. The chance of a major hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast between the Florida Panhandle and Brownsville, Texas, is 49 percent; the long-term average is 30 percent. There is also an above-average chance of a major hurricane making landfall in the Caribbean, Gray said.
In 2004, there were 15 named storms, four of them hurricanes that struck Florida. The 2005 season set a record with 28 named storms, 15 of them hurricanes; four of those hurricanes hit the U.S. coast, including Katrina, the third deadliest in U.S. history with a death toll topping 1,500.
"Nobody in this country thought we could lose 1,000 people in a hurricane," said Craig Fugate, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. "We had too much technology, too good data, satellites and the best warning system in the world — and it happened. Preparation is how we change that."
The poll was commissioned by the organizers of the 2007 National Hurricane Survival Initiative. The group includes the National Hurricane Center, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Emergency Management Association, the Salvation Army and others.
The May 10-15 telephone poll of 1,100 people has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The Florida poll of 625 people from May 13-15 had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
___
Associated Press writer Mike Baker in Raleigh, N.C., contributed to this report.
___
On the Net:
National Hurricane Survival Initiative: http://www.hurricanesafety.org
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
It was bush's fault Ray Nagin didn't use all the city buses to transport people out. Katrina was a big surprise to everyone. Came out of nowhere.
:rolleyes:
the only thing that was bush's fault was cronying in his buddy into the chief position at FEMA ... FEMA was a bureaucratic disaster being run by someone who didn't know squat ... everythng starts at the top ...
and I've already decided...a cat 3 or above, I'm out...a 1 or a 2, I'm staying put...
I'd probably do the same. I think you can definitely ride out a 1 or 2.
Well, today's day 1 of the season, I sure hope we have another year with no problems. Here's the text of an article entitled, Insurers suggest five steps to make your home more hurricane resistant. Nothing mind-blowing but still may be helpful.
************
Insurers suggest five steps to make
your home more hurricane resistant
Experts predict 2007 will be a severe hurricane season
© 2007 Insurance Information Institute
Hurricanes can cause extensive damage to homes and property. With experts predicting an active hurricane season this year, it is more important than ever for homeowners to take the proper precautions to reduce that damage, according to the Insurance Information Institute and the Institute for Business & Home Safety.
“The most important precaution you can take to reduce damage to your home and property is to protect the areas where wind and water can enter,” said Dr. Tim Reinhold, director of Engineering and vice president, IBHS. “Our damage investigations in past hurricane seasons have taught us a lot about how to protect homes better.”
Dr. Reinhold has identified five steps homeowners or their contractors can take to make homes more hurricane-resistant:
1) Shutter all openings: Windows and doors are key entry points for wind and water, so shutters are critical. Shutters should have the proper ratings for impact resistance (including wind pressure and large missile impact), such as the Miami-Dade Protocols.
2) Protect gable end vents. These can also be an entry point for wind and water. Louvers that cover them are not designed to keep out rain driven by hurricane-force winds. Keep your attic, and insulation, dry by shuttering it as if it were a window. And if you pre-drill and permanently install all shutter hardware, you will save time when a storm hits.
3) Secure loose roof shingles: Keeping shingles attached is critical to protecting your house. Loose or ragged shingles should be replaced or secured with roofing cement, which is available at most hardware stores.
4) Seal openings, cracks and holes: Water can invade homes in a number of ways, especially when it is being blown horizontally. Use caulk to seal cracks and holes where phone and cable lines enter your home.
5) Strengthen doors: Any area that allows access to the house can be a potential trouble spot. Install impact resistant garage doors, which are made with twice as many steel struts and stronger tracks. Double doors, also known as French doors should have heavy duty barrel bolt anchors at the top and bottom and a dead bolt at least one-inch long. Doors that open outwards instead of inwards are even better.
“If you do everything on this list, it could cost $4,000 or more but your home will be much stronger and safer,” said Jeanne Salvatore, senior vice president and consumer spokesperson at the I.I.I. “On the other hand, if you don’t make these improvements and you’re hit with major damage, you could end up paying a sizable hurricane deductible before the insurance payment kicks in. In comparison, the $4,000 will seem like a bargain.”
If you are remodeling or re-roofing your house, you can increase its defenses even further by making sure the roof is well-fastened to the rafters and by choosing materials that are rated and installed for high winds.
For more information on fortifying your home, go to the IBHS Web site at http://www.disastersafety.org.
For more information on insurance, go to the I.I.I.’s Web site at http://www.iii.org
You can view a video about fortifying your home at http://www.iii.org/static/video/mediaplayer/5ThingsYouCanDo.wmv.
You can download the associated I.I.I. audio file at http://www.iii.org/media/radio/prhurricaneresistance/.
thanks for the info, des!