Now that June is here, hurricane season is officially upon us and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) outlook is predicting an “above-normal” season. To prepare, New York City has updated its evacuation zones based on new data from the National Weather Service and roughly one million residents are now classified in a different zone to last year.
The city’s relaunched “Know Your Zone” awareness campaign is designed to help residents find their evacuation zone and take steps to prepare their emergency plans. There are six hurricane evacuation zones and roughly 3.1 million New Yorkers now live in one of them. Those households and businesses will all receive postcards in the mail alerting them to their zone status.
Zone 1 residents are most likely to be ordered to evacuate, depending on a hurricane’s strength, track, and storm surge. The city has released a new map where you can enter your address and see what zone you fall under.
In Hell’s Kitchen, the highest risk areas are from the waterfront to 11th Ave, falling under Zones 1 and 2. The blocks between 11/10th Ave range from Zones 3-6 and some areas of Zone 5 and 6 extend as far as the Port Authority area.
“New Yorkers have been through extraordinary challenges in the past year. Now, it’s on all of us to make sure we’re ready for the next emergency ― and that means having a plan for hurricane season,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a press statement. “Knowing your evacuation zone, preparing for flooding, and checking in on your neighbors and the elderly are easy steps that will make a difference when it matters most. Together, let’s stay safe this season and build a recovery for all of us.”
NYC Emergency Management has released a new episode of its podcast “Prep Talk,” which details all the changes and ways of staying safe this summer.
That map is basically useless lol
Dear NYC map makers: I live in HELL’S KITCHEN, not in a real-estate-concocted area named ‘Clinton.’
Hey mapmaker – try again!