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Hurricanes and COVID-19: What would it take for you to evacuate?

AAA study finds fewer Floridians willing to evacuate

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What’s more stressful than hurricane season? Hurricane season coupled with a pandemic. And according to a new survey, it will take quite the storm to convince many Floridians to evacuate from their homes this year.

A study by AAA found that nearly a third, 31%, of Floridians are more concerned about the 2020 hurricane season than they were the year previous.

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AAA researchers found two-of-five Floridians, or 42%, said they are less likely to evacuate for a storm this year for fear of contracting the coronavirus; more than a quarter of residents, or 29%, said they would not leave their homes if they were warned to evacuate.

While concerns over coronavirus are warranted, orders from officials to evacuate in the event of a strong hurricane should always be observed.

[RELATED: Here’s how to easily shop for hurricane supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic]

As in past years, researchers with AAA found that the willingness of Floridians to leave their homes in the case of a hurricane heavily depends on the severity of the storm.

According to AAA, of those who would evacuate, four out of five people would leave for a Category 2 hurricane or greater.


About the Author
Erin Dobrzyn headshot

Erin began her career at News 6 as an assignment editor, then became a show producer. She is now a digital storyteller as part of the Click Orlando team.

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