Well, some are and some aren't.

As far as getting out while the getting is good, a poll set for release next week will show that hurricane evacuations are not effective because many people do not obey the orders.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Wednesday that a Mason-Dixon poll will show that one-out-of-five coastal residents from Texas to Maine would not evacuate under any circumstances.

The poll, to be released Monday, will also say one-in-three residents would not secure their home until a hurricane warning is issued.

On top of that, the National Hurricane Center, the Salvation Army and the National Association of Emergency Managers say that coastal residents are dangerously unprepared and are urging residents to get going.

Earlier studies back up all the concerns. An American Red Cross survey in February 2004 found about 60 percent of coastal residents either didn't have a disaster plan or a disaster supplies kit.

One of the biggest problems is the population explosion on the nation's coast. In Florida alone, federal studies show there has been a 75-percent increase in coastal growth since 1980.

About 16.6 million residents live in Florida's coastal counties.

Experts are predicting a busier than normal season this year, but they don't expect a repeat of 2004 when four hurricanes devastated several areas in Florida.

The Florida Legislature is trying to do its part to improve hurricane preparations. Lawmakers are about to pass a bill establishing a 12-day tax holiday on hurricane supplies starting June 1, which is also the first day of the official hurricane season.

The holiday for the 6-percent state sales tax would apply to such items as flashlights, batteries, radios and low-priced portable generators. The price limit on most items would be about $50, but small portable generators could cost up to $750.

Most local governments would also forgo their taxes. Overall the total tax cost to the state and local governments is estimated at nearly $10 million.

Legislators said they hope the tax holiday will convince people to stock up on supplies early, rather than wait until a storm is threatening and stores are filled with panicky shoppers.

"This measure will grant Floridians a tax break on much needed hurricane supplies and hopefully encourage timely hurricane preparation," said state Rep. Ron Greenstein, a Fort Lauderdale-area Democrat who is the chief sponsor of the bill.

The official hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through Nov. 30, but the time of peak storm activity is in August through September.

Last year, Charley was the first of the four and hit Punta Gorda Aug. 13. The other three -- Frances, Ivan and Jeanne -- had finished up before the end of September.

The theory of the tax break and other preparations is that June 1 is the time to start preparations because it gives homeowners a month or two to complete them.

Conferences around the nation every year focus some time on the right preparations for the storms and the wrong preparations.

Among the suggestions are to check garage doors to see if they are sturdy enough to keep a hurricane out of the house. They are often overlooked.

Reminders are provided every year to protect the other windows and doors in the house. Installing plywood takes time, but drilling the holes and making other preparations ahead of time can cut hours off the preparations when a storm is bearing down.

Don't forget to have hard-to-replace documents in one place so you can take them with you, and have a plan for your pets.

There is always the caution to beware of rumors and false information.

One theory that doesn't work is that cracking a window relieves pressure and prevents a house from exploding.

Housing experts say that is the last thing you want to do. The emphasis now is keeping the wind out. If it gets inside, it can lift off the roof or blow out a door.

They also say the use of masking tape on windows, or window film, to keep glass from shattering is a waste of time. During last year's storms there was plenty of evidence to show that people don't know better.

Masking tape showed up on bank windows and in stores' stocks of advertised hurricane supplies.

As a dangerous storm approaches, hits and departs, rumors also fly. One of the most common are reports of hundreds of deaths based on authorities who stock up on body bags and refrigerator trucks just in case.

Gas shortages are real, but not quite as the rumor mill made them out to be last August and September. There were pockets of shortages when power failures rendered gas pumps useless, but it wasn't statewide.

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