2024 Hurricanes Helene & Milton Pinellas County Preliminary Report, in Hurricanes Helene and Milton Evacuation Decision Making

Emergency managers and communications experts aim to improve compliance with evacuation orders in hurricane-prone areas. Hurricanes Helene and Milton presented an opportunity to better understand preparedness, risk perception, and evacuation decisions among Pinellas County residents. To explore these factors, researchers disseminated a digital survey using Qualtrics—available in English and Spanish—collecting 1,324 responses between April and August 2025 from Pinellas County specifically. This report summarizes preliminary findings on respondents’ general evacuation preparedness and the perceived risks that influenced their decisions to evacuate to a shelter or hotel, shelter in place, or relocate elsewhere (e.g., friend, family member, coworker) in response to the storms.