Hillsborough County has updated its hurricane evacuation zone maps for the upcoming season, and some residents who were previously outside any evacuation zone may now find themselves in one.
Officials said the adjustments were made based on lessons learned from the 2024 hurricane season. Zone A and Zone E saw the most significant changes.
“Evacuation zones are very much based on storm surge, but we, of course, saw a lot of inland flooding, that riverine flooding,” said Katja Miller, operations section chief for Hillsborough County’s Office of Emergency Management.
Zone A, the first zone to be evacuated, now shows more coverage in the Town ‘N Country and Apollo Beach areas. Miller noted the expansion extends along the entire coastline and inland along the Alafia River, and also applies to mobile and manufactured homes countywide.
Zone E — typically the last zone to receive an evacuation order — now includes neighborhoods that were not previously in any evacuation zone, including parts of New Tampa, areas near Tampa Executive Airport, and inland portions of Apollo Beach south of Big Bend Road.
Residents are urged to check the county’s updated maps online at hcfl.gov to confirm their current evacuation zone before hurricane season begins Monday, June 1.
Follow the St. Pete-Clearwater Sun on Facebook, Google, & X
St. Pete-Clearwater Sun: local St. Pete-Clearwater news at PIE-Sun.com
Leave a Reply