Floridians are afraid to evacuate during a hurricane due to pandemic

DORAL, FL – Floridians are afraid to evacuate during a hurricane in the current COVID-19 pandemic, according to an AAA survey. 

The new survey discovered that two out of five people in Florida, which represents 42-percent of the population surveyed, are less likely to evacuate during a hurricane warning amid coronavirus concerns. 

It also shows that more than a quarter of Floridians would refuse to leave their homes in the event they had to evacuate mandatorily, and 31 percent are more concerned than normal about the hurricane season. 

Floridians are afraid to evacuate during a hurricane for many reasons. Mainly, residents don’t want to be confined in crowded shelters where social distancing could be hard to sustain.

And to make matters worst, NOAA has already predicted a much likely busy hurricane season with 13 to 19 named storms and six to 10 hurricanes of which three to six would be major. Tropical Storm Cristobal has already formed in the Gulf of Mexico as reported today by the media. 

But not everyone is inclined to avoid hurricane’s evacuations. The survey states that 80 percent of the people who would actually evacuate, would do so in the midst of a category 2 or higher storm. 

“The coronavirus just complicates matters even more for those preparing for what is forecast to be an active hurricane season,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group, in a press release.

“AAA urges families to develop an emergency plan now. Your plan should include several evacuation destinations, in case a shelter or hotel is closed due to the pandemic.”

AAA also considers important to include in your regular supply kit, cleaning supplies such as disinfectant and hand sanitizer to reduce the risk of getting infected with COVID-19. 

But in addition to developing an emergency plan and making a sufficient supply kit, AAA recommends taking measures such as securing yards and homes, taking inventory, identifying a safe room inside your house, consulting FloridaDisaster.org and buying during Florida’s hurricane sales tax holiday that ends on June 4.