A new survey by the Automobile Club of America finds that Category 3 hurricanes seem to be the evacuation threshold for the majority of Floridians.
“Category 1, Category 2, most Floridians it seems are willing to wait that out," said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins. "But when you start talking a Category 3 or Category 4 hurricane, that’s when the majority of residents are responding and starting to make plans to possibly get out of town.”
According to the National Weather Service, a Category 3 hurricane has wind speeds of between 111 and 130 miles-per-hour. A Category 4 tops out at 155 mph.
The city of Jacksonville has printed up 400,000 new emergency preparedness guides that include updated evacuation zones based on projected rainfall amounts and storm surge as well as wind speed. The guides will be distributed in Sunday’s Florida Times-Union and will be available at area Winn-Dixie stores.
The 2014 hurricane season runs from Sunday, June 1, through Sunday, Nov. 30.
You can follow Cyd Hoskinson on Twitter @cydwjctnews.
