The hurricane season officially got under way Friday, with forecasters ready to deploy new tools to improve on last year's botched predictions. Although a horrendous season had been forecast, no major hurricane hit the U.S. coast in 2000, and that might have contributed to a false sense of security by many coastal residents, a new Red Cross survey reveals. The survey found that only 52 percent of coastal residents in the states from North Carolina to Texas report having an evacuation plan.

What is the author's purpose in writing this paragraph?
A.
to inform the reader about a survey on the hurricane season
B.
to entertain the reader with a fascinating story about hurricanes
C.
to persuade the reader to create a hurricane evacuation plan
D.
to convince the reader to avoid the coastal regions of the U.S.