Most people along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts haven't made hurricane survival plans, despite pleas from emergency officials for residents to prepare before the season starts, according to a poll released Thursday.

The poll showed that most residents still don't fully understand the risks posed by hurricanes:

- 78 percent did not know that storm surge posed the greatest potential for a large loss of life, and can cause deaths as far as 20 miles inland. Also, a quarter did not know that standard homeowners insurance policies do not cover flooding.

- 54 percent believed tornadoes only occur within three miles of a hurricane's eye. A hurricane can spawn tornadoes hundreds of miles from its eye.

- 79 percent did not know that storm intensity is the hardest part of a storm to predict, so they may not understand that a Category 1 storm can strengthen to a major hurricane by landfall.

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