Public Issues Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources, the majority of Florida residents either do not believe their communities are ready for disasters or are unsure of their readiness. Floridians were also asked to gauge their thoughts on the likelihood of disasters occurring in their communities. Twice as many respondents thought a natural disaster was likely to occur than a man-made one. Forty-two percent of respondents said it was very or somewhat likely that a natural disaster would happen in their community in the next year.A little over half of Floridians reported having disaster or emergency plans they could utilize if necessary. Of the respondents who had developed plans, the organization or resource that was referenced most in their plans’ development was the American Red Cross at 63 percent. Local fire departments, emergency operations centers and UF/IFAS Extension offices are also resources for families developing disaster plans, yet the majority of respondents did not take advantage or were unaware of these resources.
Regardless of whether they had disaster plans prepared in advance, the majority of Floridians were somewhat or very confident that local law enforcement and their families would be prepared to handle disasters and emergencies, should they occur.
More than half of respondents said they would be able to evacuate if necessary and would still be able to obtain news and emergency information from local officials.
Sixty-two percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their communities need additional disaster recovery programs.
Lindsey led the survey for the PIE Center in the Fall of 2015.
Media contact: Angela Lindsey, ablindsey@ufl.edu or (352) 273-3552
