by KYW's Ian Bush

New Jersey has been lucky: it's been years since the state suffered a direct hit from a major hurricane. But officials warn weather complacency could spell disaster.

The state legislature soon will deal with a pile of bills sponsors say will shore up everything from evacuation procedures to letting people know what weather is on the way.

For now, Cape May County senator Jeff Van Drew says the state is prepared for a catastrophic storm, but not well enough:

"We're doing well in New Jersey, and we're far ahead of the curve where Louisiana is, but we can still do better, and certainly the level of complacency is high. When folks are told to get out of a dangerous area, they need to know they really need to evacuate, or else they put their lives and the lives of their family and friends at risk."

And it doesn't need to be a hurricane. Tropical storms and even storms like that nor'easter on Halloween 1991 can expose who isn't ready, and leaves them out of luck when bad weather strikes.