# 836
Yesterday, June 1st, was the first day of the Atlantic Tropical Hurricane season, and amazingly, Tropical Storm Barry formed about 250 miles to my southwest. It should move ashore, not far from me, later today.
Barry is, thankfully, a weak system. Winds are barely tropical storm caliber, and except of a possible tornado, and some beach erosion, will do nothing except help alleviate our long standing drought. Next week, or next month may bring a different storm, and a different outcome.
Yet, despite the horrific hurricane seasons of 2004-2005, and a long history of vicious storms going back as long as man has walked this earth, most people who live in the vulnerable coastal areas don't take the threat seriously.
This from a Mason-Dixon Poll conducted last month surveying 1,100 adults living in Atlantic and gulf states:
- *53 percent said they don't feel vulnerable to hurricanes or related tornadoes.
- *52 percent have no family plan, and 61 percent have no hurricane survival kit.
- *88 percent have taken no steps to make their homes stronger
- *One in four said they would not start to prepare until hurricanes were 24 to 36 hours away. One in five said they'd wait until 24 hours.
- *11 percent say they're responsible for a disabled or elderly person, but one third of those said they had no plan for that person.
- *16 percent said they might not or would not leave even if ordered to do so.
- Thirty percent said that, if they left, they'd travel not to friends or relatives nearby but as far as they could go. Emergency managers fear a scenario in which cars stuck in gridlock are wiped out by a storm.
- *43 percent said they wouldn't wait for an all clear before heading home.
- *One in five believed it was the government's responsibility to provide supplies in the first few days, or weren't sure who was responsible. Emergency managers have said families need to have everything they'll need for three to five days on their own.
- *78 percent said they did not know storm surge is the greatest killer in a storm.
- *More than half believed tornados can occur only within three miles of a storm. Actually, a hurricane can spawn tornadoes hundreds of miles away.
- *96 percent did not know garage doors are the part of a home most likely to fail. Nearly half still believe masking tape will keep windows from shattering.
- *21 percent said they weren't sure their homeowner's insurance policy included replacement coverage. More than four in 10 had not reviewed their insurance policies with an agent in the past year, some in more than five years.
- A fourth did not know standard policies don't cover flooding and homes need a separate federal flood insurance policy.
As a native Floridian, one who has ridden out many storms, I can only shake my head in wonder. It's not like we don't have major information campaigns every year. Hurricane preparedness is shouted from the highest rooftops by officials, and we even have a tax-holiday here in Florida for hurricane prep items.
But few, apparently are listening. Or if they are listening, they simply don't believe it can happen here, or to them.
In a related story, one with pandemic potential, last week the State of Florida Health Department announced a new pandemic prevention campaign, but one with a difference; it never mentions a pandemic.
FL health dept. takes innovative approach to avian flu comms
Marc Longpre PR Week USA May 29 2007 10:37
TALLAHASSEE, FL: The Florida Department of Health has taken a unique approach to the risk of pandemic influenza, launching a campaign intended to improve basic hygiene practices without ever mentioning the possibility of a flu outbreak.
The risk of an avian flu outbreak has pushed many government agencies to wage aggressive awareness campaigns on the subject. But research conducted by Florida and the agency Marketing for Change suggested the general public didn't believe the risk was real.
"We were just doing some research for them, which basically showed people didn't think [avian flu] was going to happen," said Peter Mitchell, chairman and chief creative officer for Marketing for Change. "So, to come at them and say, ‘We have another huge emergency for you to prepare for' didn't really resonate at all."
Instead, the department has launched "The Fifth Guy" campaign, based around the statistic that one in five people don't follow basic practices like washing hands after using the restroom, covering their mouth when coughing, or staying at home when sick.
"No one wants to be the person who stands out," said Kevin Cate, press secretary for the health department. "When we found people didn't believe the flu pandemic would happen we decided to build a campaign around people wanting to fit in."
Working with Marketing for Chance on the campaign, the department developed a number of advertisements around "The Fifth Guy," such as "Four out of five people wash their hands. Let's talk to the fifth guy."
So what have we learned today?
Well, Hurricanes happen fairly frequently, but most people don't believe it will happen to them, so they don't prepare. The vast majority of people, despite massive public education efforts, remain largely clueless about the dangers.
Pandemics happen less frequently, but they do happen. But almost no one believes it will happen, and so we can't even effectively talk about it. We are reduced to talking `around' the subject, just to try to cajole people into doing something protective. Substantive preparations aren't even on the table right now.
Both hurricanes and pandemics can exact a horrific toll.
And that the most common cause of death in either event will likely be ignorance and denial.
