Florida residents and visitors are often confused about the difference between a property’s Flood Zone and its Evacuation Zone. The purpose of each zone is very different, and understanding the difference could be life-saving.
As of Saturday morning, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) began issuing advisories for the fourteenth tropical depression to form during this Atlantic Hurricane Season.
The NHC/NOAA is forecasting the tropical cyclone to intensify to a strong hurricane before making landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast, and local officials are monitoring updates about the storm's potential future impacts to Manatee County.
Hurricane watches, as well as storm surge watches, could be issued for portions of Florida—including Manatee County—as early as Sunday. Local emergency management officials may issue evacuation orders to coastal and low-lying areas ahead of a forecasted storm surge threat.
So, what is the difference between an Evacuation Zone and a Flood Zone?
There’s a big difference between these two property zone assignments, and while they are often confused as being the same or related, they are not.
A Flood Zone designation is related to the property’s risk of freshwater flooding from rain. The flood zone is relevant any day of the year and any time severe weather is forecast to cause rainfall totals that could cause any degree of flooding.
An Evacuation Zone (also referred to as an “Evacuation Level”) is designated based on the risk of saltwater inundation due to storm surge. An Evacuation Zone is only relevant during a tropical cyclone event where strong winds can push ocean/gulf waters over dry coastal areas along barrier islands, bays, and harbors. Storm surge can also inundate inland dry areas by pushing water up streams and rivers.
An Evacuation Zone or Level comes into play when local emergency management officials order evacuations due to a storm surge threat from an impending tropical cyclone (tropical storm or hurricane). Storm surges have historically been the leading cause of hurricane-related deaths in the United States.
Look at the following Flood Zone map for Manatee County. Notice that many portions, even in the western coastal side of the county, are designated as Flood Zone X—moderate or low risk of flooding.
Now look at the Evacuation Zone/Level map for Manatee County below. Many more portions of the county have been assigned Evacuation Levels, nearly all western portions of the county, with designations reaching into some eastern inland portions.
As the maps show, a home may be in a non-evacuation zone but still be in a high-risk flood zone because of a nearby stream, river, or other waterbody. Alternatively, a home could be in a low-risk flood zone but still be in an early evacuation zone because of storm surge inundation risk.
That's why it's important to know both your flood zone and your evacuation zone and the difference between them.
Flood zones have nothing to do with hurricanes and everything to do with your property insurance and building requirements. FEMA maps flood zones for use in the National Flood Insurance Program.
In Manatee County, these zones are classified as zones A, AE, VE, (all high risk) and zone X, which could be moderate or low risk.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) maps evacuation zones. It identifies areas that may be impacted by storm surges and wind-driven saltwater that can inundate dry land and threaten lives during a tropical cyclone.
In Manatee County, Evacuation Zones/Levels are classified by zones A, B, C, D, or E. Some portions of the county may not be in an evacuation zone.
In the event of a tropical cyclone, Level A residents will be evacuated first. When a property lies within two different levels, officials recommend evacuating with the lowest level designated.
Ideally, residents should learn their evacuation zone ahead of hurricane season, but the information becomes most imperative during a hurricane or major storm to know when to evacuate.
Residents should identify their flood zones when they rent, own, or purchase a property to understand the property’s flood risk to know whether they will need to purchase a flood insurance policy. This information is also important when submitting applications for building/renovation permits.
To learn more about Manatee County Evacuation Zones/Levels, including your property’s level, visit mymanatee.org and select the Emergency Management menu option located on the Department of Public Safety page, or click here.
Residents can also identify their evacuation level with an address search tool on the county’s Extreme Weather Dashboard.
To learn more about Manatee County Flood Zones and to access the county’s interactive Flood Zone Map, visit mymanatee.org and select the Floodplain Management menu option located on the Department of Development Services page, or click here.
Manatee County residents can register to receive emergency updates, including evacuation notices, weather warnings, hazardous traffic or road conditions, and more, by visiting Alert Manatee. Registered residents can opt to receive the notifications by phone, text, or email.
For the latest updates on a tropical cyclone, the official forecast track, watches and warnings, and anticipated impacts to our area, visit www.nhc.noaa.gov or the Tampa Bay NWS at www.weather.gov/tbw/.
Residents should also follow local meteorologists and news stations, and heed the warnings of local Emergency Management officials.
For official storm information for Manatee County, including sandbag locations, shelter openings, local closures, and more, visit mymanatee.org/storm.
Residents can also follow Manatee County Government, Manatee County Public Safety, local city governments, and local law enforcement on social media to stay updated on storm threats and local response.
The 2024 Atlantic Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30.
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