JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A poll by the University of North Florida found that most Jacksonville residents expect a direct hit from a hurricane, but the majority of area residents are not prepared for the upcoming season, which begins June 1.

Among the findings:

Sixty-four percent of survey respondents believe that it is likely Jacksonville will experience a direct hit from a hurricane over the next five years; however, 48 percent of residents don't have a hurricane survival kit assembled for the upcoming hurricane season.

Seventy-eight percent of residents believe their home is prepared for a Category 1 or Category 2 storm, yet only 39 percent of respondents believe Jacksonville residents in general are prepared for a direct hit from a hurricane.

Falling trees were a major concern for 40 percent of respondents, while 36 percent were most concerned about wind damage and 9 percent were concerned about storm surge.

The vast majority of respondents -- 97 percent -- said they have reliable transportation in the event of an evacuation. Sixteen percent said they know someone who needs government assistance to evacuate.

If Jacksonville residents had to evacuate, 47 percent would stay with a family or friend, 16 percent would go to a hotel and 15 percent would stay at a shelter.

The majority of residents living in Jacksonville would evacuate in the event of a Category 3 hurricane (111-130 mph). In case of a Category 2 storm, 46 percent of those who would evacuate would drive more than 100 miles.

"The key finding is that there is a gap between concern about hurricanes in the city and (citizen) readiness," said Darrell Briscoe, a UNF junior who worked on the study.

This poll was conducted a a project of a Political Inquiry and Analysis class taught by Dr. Matthew Corrigan, associate professor of political science at UNF. After reviewing the Hurricane Katrina report from the Florida House of Representatives, 25 students constructed a questionnaire and collected the data.

UNF students presented the results to Chip Patterson, Duval County's Emergency Preparedness director.

The supervised poll, conducted between April 10 and April 17, was conducted at the Public Opinion Research Laboratory at UNF.

The telephone survey of 350 Jacksonville residents has a margin of error for the entire sample of just over 5 percent.