Hurricane Prep: 44% of Georgia Residents Won’t Leave Unless It’s a Category 3 or Stronger

The Gist

Over half of Georgia residents do not make advanced preparations for hurricane season or severe weather, with 16% saying they would ignore warnings to evacuate in the event of a hurricane.

AAA is sharing the top insurance policies for Hurricane Season to help Georgians protect their property and travel plans.

By The Numbers

• 53% of Georgia residents do not make advanced preparations for hurricane season or severe weather.
• 16% say they would ignore warnings to evacuate in the event of a hurricane.
• 44% would not evacuate unless the approaching hurricane was a Category 3 or stronger.
• 29% ignore evacuation warnings because they do not know where to go.
• 78% of Georgians do not have flood insurance.
• Nearly 40% of all flood insurance claims come from homes not considered high-risk flood zones.
• One inch of water in a home can cost $25,000 or more to repair.
• Flood insurance policyholders received an average claim payment of $68,000 from 2016-2021.
• On average, flooding causes more than $

Survey Says…

AAA has released its annual Hurricane Season survey findings. The survey indicates that 53% of Georgia residents do not make advanced preparations for hurricane season or severe weather. A more concerning fact is that 16% say they would ignore warnings to evacuate in the event of a hurricane. Of those who would evacuate, 44% would not leave their homes unless the approaching hurricane was a Category 3 or stronger.

The top reasons for ignoring evacuation warnings included: not knowing where to go (29%), believing the storm will turn away from their direction (28%), fear of looting after the storm (20%), being unable to bring their pets or not having a safe option for them (15%), and wanting to stay in case there is damage to their home or property that they can fix (14%).

AAA recommends that homeowners review their insurance coverage by speaking with their licensed agent to determine if they have adequate protection.

Homeowners should also ensure that their recent home upgrades like pools, screen enclosures, and fences are covered.

Additionally, AAA advises documenting belongings by walking through your home with a video camera or smartphone.

Important documents such as birth certificates, social security cards, and insurance policy information should be stored in a portable waterproof container.