At the beginning of hurricane season every year the National Hurricane Center advises people to prepare THEN for hurricane season. Just like people up north prepare for blizzards. Common sense would go a long way but seems to be in short supply in this country these days.
I live in Central NY and am always prepared for bad weather. For one thing, you never know when an ice storm or blizzard will come up and make it IMPOSSIBLE to get around. You can't drive on ice. The other thing is that it's too miserable to be running out for groceries when it's -10 outside. Once winter starts to set in, I make sure we are prepared with plenty of food, and gas for the generator, and an adequate supply of water. If I start doing some of it now, it's not a real burden either financially or physically. I don't understand why people who live in hurricane areas aren't prepared. This happens EVERY YEAR. It's not like it's something new.