With Hurricane Irma at South Florida's doorstep, it's more than important to know if your home is located within an evacuation zone.
Both Miami-Dade and Broward counties have flood zone maps identifying areas at high risk of a storm surge in the event of severe weather.
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez expects to order Miami Beach and much of the coastal areas of Miami and southern Dade to evacuate as early as Wednesday evening ahead of Hurricane Irma.
In Miami-Dade, five surge zones are labeled from A to E.
Gimenez says county evacuation zones A and B (shown in read and orange in the picture above) would be the target of the order, but that others may broaden the evacuation area. He expects the first wave of evacuations to impact about 2,000 residents.
Evacuation orders trigger a voluntary evacuation ahead of expected coastal flooding, with officials warning emergency services will not be available during a storm in the areas.
Residents of Miami-Dade county can enter their address here to determine, up to the minute, whether they are located in an evacuation zone.
In Broward County, evacuation zones include two areas:
- Plan A - from the coastline to A1A
- Plan B - from A1A to North Federal Highway
Broward's storm surge risk stems from water pushing up rivers and canals, eventually swamping streets across the county. Residents of Broward County can also access evacuation area maps here.
While emergency officials stress no single hurricane would force every zone to evacuate, it's important to know where you live and know what to do in case your zone is called.
Evacuation zones throughout Palm Beach County are located mostly along the coast and in areas surrounding Lake Okeechobee. Residents of Palm Beach County can view zoning and evacuation routes here.
Monroe County residents can check the evacuation zones here. The map also includes recommended evacuation routes.