Hurricane Complacency Is Spreading
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - After a decade without an impressive hurricane threatening the state, emergency planners say most people just aren't ready.
Daniel Perez is one of them. Perez, who lives in Coconut Grove, said he has no plans to prepare.
"Currently I have no plans to prepare for hurricane season. I think the fact that I haven't gone through a hurricane before makes me an inexperienced person when it comes to hurricanes, so currently I am not preparing," said Perez.
Emergency management officials say the longer we go without a major hurricane, the more complacent residents, like Perez, get.
"I did live in New Orleans for a couple of years, so I did see the aftermath of Katrina and I should be preparing more than I currently do," said Perez.
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency conducted a survey last year and found that only 50 percent of Americans have discussed or developed an emergency plan for family members about where to go and what to do in the event of a local disaster.
But is being too prepared also a problem? Helen Diaz lives in Margate. Because of experience, she says, you can never be too prepared.
"After going through Wilma and not really being prepared. I just don't want to be caught off guard," said Diaz.
That's why Helen has supplies stocked year round.
"This is my battery flashlight stash," she points out to CBS4's Vanessa Borge. "As you can see it stays like this year round. I always have my ice cooler stashed in the kitchen. In my bathroom I keep my water stash."
Anticipation that South Florida could be hit hard can make any one overwhelmed and excessively worried. So the best way to be ready without over preparing?
Homeowners and renters should make sure their insurance for flood and wind is current, and take reasonable precautions to strengthen their homes like shutters.
If you're considering getting shutters, now is the time.
"People in the industry have been lowering their prices and lowering their prices. You know it's supply and demand. We have plenty of supply," said Steve Buzzella, owner of Shutter Tech.
In addition to shutters, what else should you be considering. Check out our handy guides.
- Click here for a litany of ways to prepare yourself for an impending hurricane from the CBSMiami.com Hurricane Preps page
- Click here for the latest news surrounding hurricanes and the National Hurricane Center
- Click here to see all of the latest maps when a storm forms in the Atlantic
- Click here to download the CBS4 2015 Hurricane Guide (English)
- Click here to download the CBS4 2015 Hurricane Guide (Spanish)
