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As Maryland prepares to face a major hurricane on the southeast coast later this week, a new tool from the Maryland Emergency Management Agency will allow locals to check if they live in a home. flood zone and they could be evacuated.
In June, MEMA created a new evacuation system with a color-coded map to distinguish areas prone to flooding and help residents understand if they must evacuate in the event of a hurricane.
On the map, coastal areas of the state are divided into three zones – A, B and C – depending on the likelihood of severe flooding in these areas. Areas in Zone A, shown on the map in red, are the most exposed to floods from tropical storms and low intensity hurricanes, while Zone B, indicated in yellow, would be affected by Category 3 hurricanes and stronger. Those in Area C, shown in blue, would be the least affected by the floods but still at risk of evacuation.
MEMA will work with local emergency management officials to determine which areas are most at risk during a hurricane and inform residents of evacuations. Emergency management officials encouraged residents to "know your area" in case evacuation became necessary.
The map could prove useful when Hurricane Florence will head to the east coast. The hurricane has strengthened in a Category 4 storm on Monday and is expected to hit the coast on Friday.
According to MEMA, approximately 275,000 residents live in one of three zones. The map allows residents to type their address to see, if any, the storm escape area in which they live. People living outside designated areas should not be evacuated due to hurricanes.
Sixteen Maryland counties (Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Caroline, Calvert, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Harford, Kent, Prince George, Queen Anne, Somerset, St. Mary's, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester) and three cities (Baltimore, Annapolis and Ocean) City) participate in the program. The zones were established based on a Maryland hurricane evacuation study released earlier this year.
Other states, including Virginia, Florida, and New York, have similar areas that help emergency management officials coordinate evacuation efforts.
More information is available on KnowYourZoneMd.com.
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