Evacuation orders issued for Hurricane Idalia. How to find your evacuation zone and plan
Hurricane Idalia has begun to rapidly intensify as it makes its way toward central Florida and the Big Bend. Gov. Ron DeSantis already issued a state of emergenc for 46 counties ahead of Idalia’s landfall, and both mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders have been issued in almost two dozen counties.
Understanding evacuation orders can be a little daunting if you’re new to Florida or have never experienced one. There are mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders and many times voluntary evacuation orders for a community come with calls for mandatory evacuation orders for residents who live in certain zones, types of homes or low-lying and coastal areas.
Here’s what you need to know about evacuation zones, where to find yours and what kind of preparations to make.
Hurricane Idalia evacuation orders: Active evacuation orders in Florida
How to find your evacuation zone
If you’re in a zone that has had an evacuation order issued, chances are you have already received an alert through your phone letting you know. If you haven’t received an alert, you can still check your home’s evacuation zone by visiting Florida’s “Know Your Zone” tool.
When you arrive at the page, you can enter your home’s address in the search bar located at the top left of the information panel. Once you’ve entered your address, you’ll be presented with information regarding that location’s evacuation zone along with links to your local emergency management agency’s website which can provide you with more specific guidance.
What are Florida’s evacuation zones?
Florida has six general evacuation zones that represent areas where storm surge may go. Evacuation zones are labeled alphabetically with Zone A being the most vulnerable and the most likely to be evacuated first while Zone F is most likely to be evacuated last. In special cases, counties like Volusia and Monroe might have shared zones that are labeled Zone AB, Zone BC or Zone DE, which will have their own evacuation orders.
There are additional zone designations such as Tropical Storm Zone, designations for mobile homes and even county-specific zones like Zone L in Palm Beach. Always check with your local emergency management agency for the best guidance.
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How to make an evacuation plan
Making an evacuation plan should be part of your hurricane preparedness plan made or revisited at the beginning of each season, but don’t panic if you haven’t made one. Here’s how to make an evacuation plan:
Identify where you can go — Contact a friend or family member in another town for a place to stay. Otherwise, find a hotel or shelter with vacancies. If all else fails, pick a safe place to travel to where you can hammer out these final details without the worry of getting stuck at a dangerous location.
Pick a main route and a backup route — Visit your local emergency management agency to find evacuation routes and pick out a main path of travel and a backup in case the first one doesn’t work out.
Pack your hurricane preparedness kit — A hurricane preparedness kit should have supplies like clothes, medicine, food, water and other items that can hold you over for about three days. If you’re short on time, here is a quick list of items to bring with you:
Clothes, bedding, etc.
Flashlight
Computer, phone chargers
Prescriptions and other medications
Bottled water and snacks
Comfort items such as toys for kids
Cherished items such as physical photographs
Pet items if you’re traveling with a pet
First aid kit
Gather important documents — You’ll want to make sure you grab any important documents that would be difficult to replace such as:
Birth and marriage certificates
Drivers license
Employment information
Prescriptions
Passports
Social Security cards
Insurance policies
Recent tax returns
Wills and deeds
Financial information
You can find a full list of items here.
Home inventory — A home inventory should be made if you have time to make one. This will be a list of big-ticket items (but not valuables like jewelry) that you can make note of to help speed up the insurance claim process and substantiate losses for income tax purposes. Home insurance typically requires supplemental insurance for scheduled property, which is more valuable items like jewelry.
A few quick notes: If you have a hurricane preparedness kit ready to go, grab that rather than trying to condense it down to the list provided above. Thankfully, many of the noted documents can be found online, so be sure to prioritize the documents that typically require physical copies rather than ones that can be replaced digitally.
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Hurricane Idalia mandatory evacuation orders in Florida
When should I evacuate if I live in a mandatory evacuation zone?
You should leave immediately if you live in a mandatory evacuation zone. Part of the reason zones exist is to help facilitate the influx of high-volume traffic. Delaying evacuation can be dangerous, especially if you live in a vulnerable evacuation zone because it will extend your travel time as traffic jams build.
Hurricane Idalia voluntary evacuation orders in Florida
Hernando County - Voluntary evacuation recommendations have been issued for all areas west of U.S. Route 19 in Hernando County, which includes zones A, B and C. Public shelters for those who cannot stay with friends or family were opened at noon local time on Monday.
Citrus County - A local state of emergency is in effect for Citrus County. People living in detached or vulnerable structures such as campers, RVs or tents, or along the west side of U.S. Route 19 have been advised to voluntarily evacuate.
Baker County - The Division of Emergency Management asks that residents living in low-lying, flood prone home, or a mobile home evacuate before the storm. There are two public shelters available.
Gilchrist County - As of 3:00 p.m. Monday, Gilchrist County officials declared a local state of emergency. Voluntary evacuation orders were issued in low-lying areas and for those living in mobile homes.
Volusia County - The county suggested residents living in RVs, mobile homes or low-lying areas find shelter with friends and family starting Tuesday morning. They may also use public shelters as a last resort.
Union County - Union County has declared a state of emergency ahead of hurricane Idalia. It strongly encouraged residents living in mobile homes or low-lying areas to seek shelter in structurally sound homes. All residents are encouraged to secure objects that could turn into projectiles.
Marion County - The Marion County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management is recommending that citizens west of I-75 that live in a mobile home, RV or substandard housing evacuate.
Madison County - The Emergency Management department in Madison County issued a voluntary evacuation order for residents living in low-lying and flood prone areas, mobile homes, travel trailers/RVs, and structurally compromised housing.
Jefferson County - Those living in mobile and modular homes or in flood-prone areas are encouraged to evacuate.
Should I evacuate if I live in a voluntary evacuation zone?
In many cases, voluntary evacuation zones have mandatory evacuations for people who live in RVs, mobile homes or low-lying areas. You should always listen to the advice offered by local officials during a storm.
Contributor: Kinsey Crowley -- USA Today
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Evacuation orders issued for Hurricane Idalia. How to find your zone
