Test your knowledge
By Times Staff Writer
Published May 29, 2005
Here's a sampling of the quiz questions asked in the Mason-Dixon poll on hurricane preparedness.
1. The biggest potential threat to human life from a land-falling hurricane is:
A - Wind
B - Tornadoes
C - Storm surge
D - Inland flooding
2. The structural component that most often fails during hurricane force winds is:A - Garage door
B - A windward-facing wall
C - Roof
D - Windows
3. During an approaching major hurricane, low-lying escape routes are usually cut off:A - At landfall
B - Near the eye of the storm
C - 30 minutes to one hour before landfall
D - At least three hours before landfall and much earlier than that in vulnerable areas
4. For those ordered to evacuate, the best option is to:A - Travel as far inland as possible as fast as possible
B - Choose a route at right angles to the projected path of the storm
C - Drive immediately to the nearest designated shelter
D - Arrange in advance to stay with a nearby friend whose home is outside the evacuation zone
5. One item your Disaster Preparation Kit should not contain is:A - Cash
B - Candles
C - Keys
D - Important documents
6. Geographically, the majority of hurricane fatalities from drowning in the past 33 years have occurred:A - On the open water
B - Within 2 miles of the coast
C - In inland counties
D - In coastal counties
7. If you are not ordered to evacuate, the safest place in a home to ride out a hurricane is:A - Inside your car in the garage
B - The exterior room farthest away from the direction of the strongest wind
C - The most interior room of the house
D - The basement
8. What type of hazard during a hurricane does standard homeowners insurance not cover?A - Lightning
B - Flooding
C - Wind
D - Falling trees
9. Most tornadoes associated with land-falling hurricanes are spawned:A - In rain bands that can occur hundreds of miles from the eye of the storm
B - In the eye wall
C - Within 1 mile of the eye of the storm
D - Within 3 miles of the eye of the storm
10. Where should you take your pets if you must evacuate?A - To a safe location that has agreed or been designated to accept pets during a storm
B - To the shelter where you'll be staying
C - To the local animal shelter
D - To your veterinarians office
E - Leave them in your home with a three-day supply of food and water.
11. True or false? Masking tape will help prevent windows from shattering. 12. True or false? Opening a window on the sheltered side of house lessens the potential for wind damage.- www.hurricanesafety.org/index.shtml
Here are responses, with correct answers in bold, to the hurricane quiz with the percentage of responses each question got in the Mason-Dixon poll on hurricane preparedness.
A - Wind 32%
B - Tornadoes 24%
- Storm Surge 20%
D - Inland flooding 24%
A - Garage door 4%
B - A windward-facing wall 1%
C - Roof 49%
D - Windows 46%
A - At landfall 9%
B - Near the eye of the storm 6%
C - 30 minutes to one hour before landfall 24%
D - At least three hours before landfall and much earlier than that in vulnerable areas 61%
A - Travel as far inland as possible as fast as possible 24%
B - Choose a route at right angles to the projected path of the storm 12%
C - Drive immediately to the nearest designated shelter 30%
D - Arrange in advance to stay with a nearby friend whose home is outside the evacuation zone 34%
A - Cash 19%
B - Candles 22%
C - Keys 26%
D - Important documents 33%
A - On the open water 7%
B - Within 2 miles of the coast 19%
C - In inland counties 15%
D - In coastal counties 59%
A - Inside your car in the garage - 0%
B - The exterior room farthest away from the direction of the strongest wind 8%
C - The most interior room of the house 42%
D - The basement 50%
A - Lightning 17%
B - Flooding 60%
C - Wind 8%
D - Falling trees 15%
A - In rain bands that can occur hundreds of miles from the eye of the storm 29%
B - In the eye wall 12%
C - Within 1 mile of the eye of the storm 22%
D - Within 3 miles of the eye of the storm 37%
A - To a safe location that has agreed or been designated to accept pets during a storm 36%
B - To the shelter where you'll be staying 35%
C - To the local animal shelter 7%
D - To your veterinarian's office 7%
E - Leave them in your home with a 3-day supply of food and water 15%
True 54%
False 46%
True 38%
False 62%