More than 1-in-4 Floridians would ignore evacuation warnings, new survey shows

ORLANDO, Fla. — AAA has released its annual Hurricane Season survey.

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The 2024 survey, which focuses on how Floridians feel about the threat from hurricanes, is full of surprising and concerning results.

Some highlights of the research showed:

27% of Floridians would ignore hurricane evacuation warnings.
64% would only evacuate for a Category 3 or stronger storm.
23% of residents do not make any advanced preparations for hurricane season.

Emergency officials remind residents to be proactive about preparing for hurricane season.

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Some simple planning now will help to avoid extra stress if the time comes to evacuate.

“If you’re worried about property damage, contact your insurance advisor,” AAA’s Mark Jenkins said.

“Having adequate coverage will give you the peace-of-mind in knowing that anything damaged while you’re gone can be repaired or replaced,” he added.

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This year’s survey revealed a number of reasons why Floridians said they would ignore evacuation warnings.

They include:

33% − Want to stay in case there’s damage to their home or property that they can fix
29% − Believe the storm will turn away from their direction
24% − Don’t know where to go
23% − Financial reasons (can’t afford a hotel)
20% − Can’t bring their pets / No safe option for them
19% − Fear of looting after the storm

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And while they might sound the same every year, AAA wants to once again drive home these messages to Floridians.

“Take steps now to develop an evacuation plan for your family and pets,” Jenkins said.

“Staying in the path of a potentially deadly storm is just not worth the risk.”

To see the full AAA 2024 Hurricane Season survey, click here.

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