As destructive as hurricane winds can be the storm surge causes even more of a risk. To be prepared and stay safe during hurricane season in Southwest Florida you should know your evacuation zone and have it handy. When a storm is brewing stay alert and keep your ears peeled for evacuation orders pertaining to your location. This is because local organizations will give evacuation orders as appropriate based on expected winds and storm surges. If you don’t know what zone your home is in you will not be in a good position to act quickly.
This guide gives an overview of what an evacuation zone is and provides a directory of evacuation zones for different areas in Southwest Florida.
What is a hurricane evacuation zone?
Evacuation zones, or hurricane surge evacuation zones designate the potential risk of flooding within an area. Generally (not always) more vulnerable zones are those in flood zones, which are areas with lower elevations and are more prone to flooding.
The official evacuation zones used in Florida are designated by letter. According to Florida’s Division of Emergency Management the official evacuation zones go from Tropical Storm Zone to Zone F.
The highest risk evacuation zones are the Tropical Storm Zone and Zone A. These are the most vulnerable. Vulnerability decreases as the letters go up (increasing to Zone F).
As such, higher risk zones, such as Zone A would be the first zones ordered to evacuate.
How to find your SWFL evacuation zone
Evacuation zones are determined by the counties in Southwest Florida. Below you will find the county websites where you can find your evacuation zone based on your specific address.
Florida Evacuation Zone Map
Visit the Florida Division of Emergency Management interactive map if you fall outside of the counties below. Or you can use the Florida map as a single resource.
Navigate to the Florida Division of Emergency Management map.
Collier County Evacuation Zones
Use the Collier County Find My Zone interactive map
The Collier County site also has an interactive map to find your evacuation zone if you live inside of Collier County.
Cities covered in the Collier County evacuation zones include Naples FL, Marco Island, Immokalee, Everglades
You can see an overall screenshot of the map below.
Charlotte County Evacuation Zones
Visit the Charlotte County Emergency Management website
The Charlotte County Emergency Management site has a section titled “Find Your Evacuation Zone”. Enter your address in the search box and click the search icon.
Cities covered in the Charlotte County evacuation zones include: El Jobean, Englewood, Placida, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Rotonda West
Below is an overall screenshot of the Charlotte evacuation zone map below.
Glades County Evacuation Zones
Visit the Glades County Emergency Management website
If you live in Glades County you can find your evacuation zone using the Florida Division of Emergency Management map.
The Collier County site also has an interactive map to find your evacuation zone if you live inside of Collier County.
Communities covered in the Glades County evacuation zones include: Moore Haven, Buckhead Ridge, Horseshoe Acres, Indian Hills, Lakeport, Muse, Ortona, Palmdale, Port Labelle
You can see an overall screenshot of the Glades evacuation zone map below.
Lee County Evacuation Zones
Visit the Lee County Emergency Management website
The Lee County Emergency Management site has an interactive map to find your evacuation zone if you live inside of Lee County.
Cities covered in the Lee County evacuation zones: Cape Coral, Pine Island, Matlacha, Boca Grande, North Fort Myers, Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Captiva, Fort Myers Shores, Estero, Bonita Springs.
You can see an overall screenshot of the map below.
To find the evacuation zone for your home in Lee County FL you can use the interactive map by entering your home address.
References:
https://www.floridadisaster.org/knowyourzone/
https://www.leegov.com/publicsafety/emergencymanagement/knowyourzone
https://www.charlottecountyfl.gov/departments/public-safety/
https://www.myglades.com/departments/public_safety/emergency_management/index.php
