New data from BELFOR Property Restoration shows that 60% of American homeowners don’t have “a disaster preparedness plan.” Additionally, 47% say they haven’t done so because it hasn’t crossed their minds before.
The site reports that this research was carried out for National Preparedness Month.
But these results are especially alarming, given what ongoing, major storm Hurricane Florence has already done in North Carolina so far:
Hurricane Florence is thrashing the Carolina coast with devastating flooding and hurricane-force winds. One of the hardest hit areas so far is New Bern, North Carolina. https://t.co/Zc6AE8rKCP pic.twitter.com/4OL4jGHKNr
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 14, 2018
#HurricaneFlorence latest:
-500,000+ without power
-20+ inches of rain in Atlantic Beach, NC
-12,000 people in NC evacuation shelters pic.twitter.com/4zQIOsv63S— TODAY (@TODAYshow) September 14, 2018
#HurricaneFlorence: Flood waters rising to the top of home windows in Belhaven, NC. https://t.co/wzNZseIvLY pic.twitter.com/CKmSxVDfHu
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) September 14, 2018
From earlier this week:
The @WaffleHouse Storm Center is activated and monitoring #Florence. Plan ahead and be safe. pic.twitter.com/UOBi5oZRRi
— Waffle House News (@WaffleHouseNews) September 11, 2018
Apple CEO Tim Cook recently announced that the company will be giving $1 million in relief money to the American Red Cross to aid people impacted by the natural disaster, but luckily, there are also ways that you can help.
What Americans know about getting ready for emergencies
Zeroing in on BELFOR’s research again, the numbers show that two-thirds of people surveyed think “that they are not prepared for disaster.”
These are the “natural or man-made” emergencies that Americans claim to be worried about the most:
- “Tornadoes:” 25%
- “Other:” 21%
- “Fires:” 20%
- “Power Outages:” 19%
- “Flooding:” 8%
- “Hurricanes:” 7%
Tornadoes seem to be a major source of worry among Americans who own a home.
Sheldon Yellen, BELFOR CEO, commented on the research:
“It was shocking to find the results of BELFOR’s disaster preparedness survey showed U.S. homeowners are lacking the resources and awareness to prepare their homes, businesses and families for devastating situations,” he said.
But while 45% of those surveyed said they were unaware of what “they should have on-hand” during “an emergency,” those who actually knew said that “food, water and flashlights” were the three most important goods to have around.
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