Evacuation zones in Hillsborough County have changed and expanded ahead of the hurricane season set to begin June 1.
In some areas, Zone A, the first group called during evacuations, has seeped more inland, encompassing more homes. Other areas of the county not previously in an evacuation zone are now grouped into Zone E, the last group called during evacuations. Other in-between zones have also shifted slightly.
Both Pinellas and Pasco last updated their evacuation zones in 2022. Pasco said it does not plan to update its evacuation zones this year and did not a have a timeline for when an update could come. Pinellas said it’s updating county building data and new zones could come next year.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration updates its storm risk data for the area every three to five years, said Katja Miller, Hillsborough County’s emergency management operations section chief.
The new maps are created using surge data combined with county characteristics, like elevation and tide levels. Miller said it took the county’s geospatial team a couple months to finish the new zones.
“It’s not something to necessarily panic about,” Miller said. “It’s just something that you need to consider within your plan.”
It’s not the first time the county has tweaked evacuation zones. Each year, the county reevaluates new parcels to see how they fit into zones, which typically leads to small changes. New storm surge data often leads to larger modifications, Miller said.
Notable map changes include a more expansive Zone A in some coastal areas like Apollo Beach. Along the tip of the Alafia River, some evacuation zones have risen a level. In Thonotosassa, some areas that were not in an evacuation zone are now in evacuation Zone E.
In some parts of the county, evacuation levels actually went down a step, Miller said.
The county suggests looking over the latest maps to understand how your evacuation zone may have changed this year.
Residents have questioned if these tweaks are related to the 2024 season when Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck the region, Miller said. They are not, she said.
The 2024 hurricane season, while devastating, offers lessons that can be applied this season and beyond, Miller said. That year, both evacuation zones and flood zones were impacted by the storms.
Evacuation zones are based on storm surge risk, which is the Gulf rising to your door. Flood zones refer to inland flooding potential.
“Unfortunately, we saw both of those being impacted, Helene with the evacuation zones ... and then with Milton we saw a lot of impact into our floodplain, into those flood zones,” Miller said.
Residents should check both their evacuation zones and flood zones, she said.
“That really should be taken into consideration when they’re making their plans for themselves and their family,” Miller said.
Residents she has heard from seem to understand the need for the tweaks, Miller said. The memories of Helene’s powerful storm surge and Milton’s punishing rain have put more residents on guard during the hurricane season, she said.
Miller said residents don’t have to evacuate hundreds of miles away. They can go just inland enough to stay safe from storm surge. She also suggested identifying friends or family that are in safer locations ahead of the hurricane season, should you need to evacuate.
“We’re seeing folks take this a bit more seriously, which is a good thing,” Miller said.
“We want people to stay safe.”
How to find Hillsborough evacuation information
Evacuation information can be found at HCFL.gov/HEAT. Type in an address to learn what zone a property is in. Zone A is the first to evacuate, along with manufactured and mobile homes in the county. All manufactured and mobile homes are first to evacuate, even if they are inland.
How to find Hillsborough flood zones
Visit bit.ly/4wCkAdr to find out more on flood maps, created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. To see FEMA flood zones for a Hillsborough County area, visit bit.ly/3PfqXTf.
Hillsborough County’s floodplains can be found at bit.ly/4eXT4kf.
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