Over 1-in-4 Floridians would ignore evacuations during hurricane: AAA
TAMPA, Fla. - AAA released its annual Hurricane Season survey, sharing that more than one in every four Floridians would ignore evacuation warnings for a hurricane.
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According to the survey, 27% of Floridians say they would ignore warnings to evacuate in the event of a hurricane. And of those who would evacuate, nearly two-thirds (64%) said they wouldn't leave their home if the hurricane was a Category 3 or stronger.
READ: 3 tropical waves emerge days before the 2024 hurricane season
Additionally, nearly a quarter of Florida residents (23%) don't make advanced preparations for hurricane season or severe weather.
"Staying in the path of a deadly storm is just not worth the risk," AAA PR Manager Mark Jenkins said. "Take steps now to develop an evacuation plan for your family and pets."
READ: NOAA issues its most aggressive hurricane season forecast on record
The top reasons Floridians cited in the survey for ignoring evacuation warnings included the following:
- Wanting to stay in the case there's damage to their home or property that they can fix
- Believing the storm will turn away from their direction
- Not knowing where to go
- Financial reasons
- Can't bring their pets
- Fear of looting after the storm
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