More than half of Florida homeowners do little to nothing to prepare their property for the impact of hurricanes. A survey by door maker Origin Global indicates that less than one in seven homeowners installed the correct doors to cope with costal storms.
The study was done in light of the National Weather Service’s Hurricane Preparedness Week and with Atlantic hurricane season just around the corner, which usually runs from June through November. Only 14.6 percent of Florida residents have roof protection while 50.2 percent of homeowners installed no safety measures whatsoever. However, one third of homeowners have prepared emergency supplies as their only precaution against severe weather.
“Our findings show that, despite the severity of last year’s hurricane season and the susceptibility of Florida to the elements, a surprising number of residents have not protected their homes against damage which could not potentially cost them thousands of dollars to repair,” says Halsall.
Florida was ranked second to New York in terms of insured U.S. costal homes vulnerable to hurricanes, at an estimated $2.86 trillion, according to Joe Halsall, digital marketing manager at Origin Global.
Safety Measure | Percent of Florida Residents Prepared |
Emergency supplies | 30.9% |
Storm shutters | 18.3% |
Impact-resistant windows | 18.0% |
Provision to secure outside objects | 16.4% |
Roof protection | 14.6% |
Impact-resistant doors | 13.2% |
None of the above | 50.2% |