According to experts, to evacuate from a hurricane, residents need money, a plan, the ability to evacuate, and more importantly, the belief that evacuating is better than staying behind.
When Hurricane Milton made landfall on the East Coast of the United States, near Sarasota, Florida, tens of thousands of people had to seek shelter in evacuation centers. Hundreds of thousands more fled from coastal areas ahead of the storm, crowding onto highways.
Trees and downed power poles in Fort Myers, Florida as Hurricane Milton made landfall (Photo: Reuters).
While evacuating may seem like an obvious choice when a major storm approaches your area, that decision is not always easy.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Natural Hazards Center, there are three reasons why some residents ignore danger and decide not to leave.
Notably, these can lead to disastrous decisions when a storm or natural disaster exceeds any individual’s ability to respond.
Fear of Evacuation Costs
After the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, many Americans have become more attentive to storm warnings and evacuating as early as possible (Photo: USA Today).
Evacuating first requires transportation, money, housing, the ability to take time off work before the storm arrives, and many other resources that many people do not have.
For example, during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, many residents in the U.S. did not own vehicles and could not access evacuation buses.
This left them trapped before the deadly storm. Ultimately, nearly 1,400 people died in the hurricane, many of whom were in flooded homes.
Health, Pets, and Relocation Challenges
Some individuals choose not to evacuate out of fear of leaving their pets behind. (Illustrative image).
Evacuating is even more challenging for individuals with disabilities or vulnerable groups, such as the elderly in nursing homes.
Additionally, those incarcerated in prisons may have no choice in this matter, as the justice system offers limited options for relocating them.
People with disabilities also face other complex issues that may prevent their basic needs from being met.
During Hurricane Floyd in 1999, some individuals with disabilities arrived at shelters, but the corridors were too narrow for their wheelchairs. Consequently, these individuals had to sleep in their wheelchairs throughout their stay.
Pet owners or those with farms that house many animals face another difficult choice: leaving their animals behind.
As a result, some choose not to evacuate out of fear of abandoning their pets. Bringing animals along also complicates transportation and finding safe shelter.
Risk Perception
A house in Fort Myers, Florida damaged by a tornado before Hurricane Milton made landfall (Photo: Reuters).
For most cases, people’s perception of risk is a factor that prevents them from leaving.
Many scientific studies indicate that women and minority groups actually perceive hurricane risks more seriously than other groups and are more likely to evacuate or seek shelter.
A study from East Carolina University found that women are twice as likely as men to evacuate when ordered to do so.
Moreover, if individuals have previously experienced a hurricane without significant damage, they may assume the risk of the impending storm is lower and choose not to evacuate.
Community surveys also show that many people do not evacuate due to concerns about shelters and tend to prefer staying at home or with family or friends.
They believe conditions at shelters are poor, overcrowded, or lacking privacy.
A small group of individuals with medical histories, such as those with diabetes or those with young children, also worry about finding suitable food in shelters.
