As the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season officially begins, record fuel prices could make many Floridians less willing to evacuate if they are threatened by hurricanes.
With the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas in Florida at a record $4.65 on Wednesday, American Automobile Association (AAA) survey results show that 42% of Floridians might be hesitant about getting out of harm’s way because of fuel prices.
Overall, 25% of Floridians would ignore evacuation warnings, the survey found.
AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins says people need to have a plan, as fuel prices are likely to remain high throughout the summer.
“For those people who might be a little more hesitant about evacuating due to higher prices, I think it’s a good idea now to make part of your hurricane preps to start setting aside an evacuation budget," Jenkins said. "That way, the higher cost of gasoline or hotels is not the reason that you stay home.”
Other reasons people could decide to stay home include such things as they don’t have safe options for their pets, don’t know where to go and aren’t able to afford hotels.