Mayor Updates City's Hurricane Evacuation Zones

Deputy Mayor for Operations Cas Holloway and Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph F. Bruno on Tuesday announced an updated zone schedule for the City's hurricane evacuation zones. 

Evacuation Zones 1 through 6 are replacing the previous Zones A, B and C, providing greater efficiency and more flexibility for residents in the event of an evacuation. 

Zone 1: 370,000

Zone 1+2: 620,000

Zone 1+2+3: 1,020,000

Zone 1+2+3+4: 1,470,000

Zone 1+2+3+4+5: 2,230,000

Zone 1+2+3+4+5+6: 2,990,000

The zones are based on coastal flood risk resulting from storm surge - the "dome" of ocean water propelled by the winds and low barometric pressure of a hurricane; the geography of the city's low-lying neighborhoods; and the accessibility of these neighborhoods by bridge and roads. Additionally, the resolution of the model has been increased, incorporating improved elevation data, and the new evacuation zones also assume that the storm surge will coincide with high tide.

"The new zones incorporate the best-available data and will help the City to more effectively communicate to those most at risk depending on the characteristics of a particular storm," said Deputy Mayor Holloway.

In the City's history, a mandatory evacuation has been issued only twice, during Hurricane Irene in 2011 and Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.

New evacuation zones now include:

• The residences of 37 percent of New Yorkers;
• An additional 600,000 New Yorkers;
• An additional 26 New York City Housing Authority developments, now totaling 175;
• Four additional hospitals, bringing the total from 21 to 25; and
• Nine additional nursing homes, bringing the total from 60 to 69.

To find out if a home or businesses falls within the boundaries of the new city hurricane evacuation zone, go to www.nyc.gov or call 311."