Prepare for hurricane season: Know your zone

by: WAVY Staff

Posted: May 30, 2019 / 09:08 AM EDT

Updated: Jun 14, 2024 / 03:11 PM EDT

(WAVY) – You should know your zone ahead of any big storm. Emergency management labels zones alphabetically from A to D. Zone A has the highest risk for flooding.

For Virginia, the zone map shows Zone A in blue, B in green, C in orange, and D in red.

Emergency officials may evacuate neighborhoods based on zone in the event of a major storm. Remember that you may not have to evacuate 100s of miles, you may only have to go 5-10 miles to get out of the area at most risk for dangerous flooding. For example, parts of Hampton in Zone A or B may just need to go to a friends house in Newport News or an adjacent city, outside of a flood zone.

However, keep in mind that after a storm – power can be out for extended periods of time. Make sure you’re prepared to deal with no power, AC, potential water outages, etc.

The A,B,C, and D zone system covers Hampton Roads, the Middle Peninsula, the Eastern Shore and the Northern Neck.

The 23 localities covered in the zone map include: the cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach; counties of Accomack, Essex, Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, Northampton, Northumberland, Richmond County, Surry, Westmoreland, York, and the town of Chincoteague.

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In the NC Outer Banks, a similar system is used but the colors and zones are slightly different. Zone A is still the zone that is evacuated first in most situations, as it is at highest risk from storm surge and other hazards from tropical systems.

Know Your Zone, North Carolina’s new system of coastal evacuation zones, launched in June 2020. It’s a tiered evacuation system that focuses on areas most vulnerable to impacts from hurricanes, tropical storms and other hazards.

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety says that local officials will determine which zones should be evacuated. Areas in Zone A will typically be evacuated first, followed by areas in Zone B, etc. While all zones won’t be evacuated in every event, emergency managers will work with local media and use other outreach tools to notify residents and visitors of impacted zones and evacuation instructions. Residents should look and listen for their county name and zone when evacuations are ordered.

The NC Know Your Zone website is also available in Spanish at Conozca Su Zona

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