Check out which hurricane evacuation zone your house is in

Have you prepared for hurricane season yet?

As part of a new campaign called “Learn Your Level” that started June 1, Manatee County Public Safety has updated its interactive hurricane storm surge evacuation level maps.

With the new maps — based on the updated Sea, Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes, or SLOSH, numerical model to determine storm scenarios and possible flooding — anyone in Manatee County can enter their address to view their evacuation levels, find shelters and plot out evacuation routes. SLOSH models are updated regularly by the National Weather Service to account for changes in shorelines or new development.

The five evacuation levels are defined as A through E — labeled on the map as red, orange, yellow, green and purple, respectively — with A being closest to shores and purple being more inland. For example, the county would require residents in level A areas to evacuate first in an event of potential high storm surge; depending on the severity of the surge, evacuations would continue level by level. Storm surge flooding ranges from ground level to 33 feet.

Parts of the county without a level are considered “outside of the evacuation area.” Also, 25 evacuation shelters are pinpointed on the map as red stars.

“Remember that mobile homes, manufactured homes, and recreational vehicles are never safe places to stay during high wind events,” said Sherilyn Burris, Manatee County Emergency Management chief. “These types of housing will evacuate with Level A, regardless of where in the county the home is located.”

Also part of the campaign, public safety officials are asking homeowners and businesses to prepare disaster kits.

To see which hurricane evacuation zone your house is in, visit the interactive GIS evacuation level map page on the county’s website at mymanatee.org; from the county website homepage, click on “Government,” then “Departments,” then “Public Safety,” then “Emergency Management” and finally “Evacuation Levels and Route Maps.” For more information, call Manatee County Emergency Management at 941-749-3500.

This story was originally published May 3, 2017 at 9:30 AM with the headline "Check out which hurricane evacuation zone your house is in."