00:00AccuWeather's Leslie Hudson is live in Orange County, Florida at their emergency management offices with what each generation is doing differently and how to close the gap before the next storm, which may not be too far away. Good morning, Leslie.
00:15Hey, good morning to you, Bernie. Yeah, I tell you what, the results from this research was really surprising. And a lot of folks are also surprised that it's not my generation or your generation. It's the or if I won't speak for you guys, but the younger generation that is actually better prepared.
00:38And as you mentioned, Bernie, we're right outside Orange County's Emergency Services Command Center. So over my shoulder, this is a bevy of activity when there is a storm threatening the state of Florida and in particular in central Florida.
00:52But the results, again, pretty surprising. And being disaster ready really depends on who you are and how old you are based on this study that came from a company called Talker Research that actually surveyed about 2000 people.
01:06So the Gen Zers and the Millennials tend to have a plan on paper more so than the baby boomer, baby boomer generations.
01:17But they also tend to the baby boomers tend to skip steps like backup power and printed maps, things you think they would be ready for.
01:25They actually don't do. So younger adults check the weather more often.
01:28We know that they live by their phones and that actually helps them be more disaster ready.
01:33They follow the live feeds. They lean on their phone based tools like the radar, like the AccuWeather radar app and share their family and their shared family text.
01:42And that can translate into action. But that fire hose of information can keep their nerves on edge.
01:53Millennials and Gen Z's are hardwired to prepare for natural disasters, instant live feed on their phones.
02:00They tune in as soon as something is going on. It also creates a higher sense of anxiety.
02:06Studies have shown that when people are scrolling on their phones, it wires them to feel a little bit more anxious.
02:13So baby boomers may not have this same level of underlying anxiety that Millennials and Gen Z do.
02:20So again, the survey was about 2,000 Americans and about 90 percent of all of those that were surveyed say it's critical to be prepared.
02:32But actually, less than half of them have a plan in place.
02:36So if we're going to split this by generation, the Gen Zers and the Millennials are, again, a little better prepared.
02:43A little more than half of them say they do have a disaster plan.
02:46They know what they'll do if a hurricane, tornado, some type of disaster is headed their way.
02:52But the baby boomers, less than half of them, actually have a plan in place.
02:57And that also holds true for the Gen Zers.
03:02So the results, again, pretty surprising, you guys.
03:04Americans, whether they feel that extreme, they all agree, all generations agree, that they feel there is more extreme weather than there was just 10 years ago.
03:14They think there's more heat, more storms, more flooding.
03:17But all the officials say that, of course, getting that plan in place, getting ready will lower that anxiety, lower that need to get something done.
03:26If you'll just put something on paper or get something in place before that disaster strikes.
03:31But, again, really surprising data that came out from this research that the younger folks, including my kids, apparently are more ready for a disaster than me.
03:41I don't know if that's true or not, but that's what the research says.
03:45Reporting live from Orange County.
03:46We'll send it back to you.
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