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Hurricane evacuation zones and storm-surge maps — what the colors mean

If you live in a coastal county from Texas through Maine, you've been assigned a hurricane-evacuation zone (typically A through E, or 1 through 5, depending on state). These zones are NOT the same as FEMA flood zones — they're storm-surge-driven and updated by state emergency-management offices, not FEMA.

Published 2026-04-25 · Last reviewed 2026-07-03 · methodology

How evacuation zones differ from flood zones

FEMA flood zones (AE, X, VE) measure 1%-annual-chance still-water flood elevation — driven by rainfall + tidal flooding.

Hurricane evacuation zones measure storm-surge inundation potential — driven by hurricane category-by-category modeling (SLOSH model).

A given parcel can be in a low FEMA flood zone (X) AND a high evac zone (A) — surge from a Category 3 hurricane covers areas the 1% flood model doesn't reach.

Evac orders are issued zone-by-zone by county EOC officials. Local TV, NWS, and state emergency apps push notifications by zone letter.

Zone letter conventions (vary by state)

Florida + Texas + Alabama: A = first to evacuate (worst surge), E = last (lowest surge). Some counties use 1-5 numerically.

Louisiana: zones distinguish 'mandatory' vs. 'voluntary' rather than letter — check parish-specific guidance.

Carolinas: Zone A through F; Outer Banks barrier islands in A.

Northeast (NY, NJ, MA): Zone 1 = highest risk; Zone 6 outside surge zone.

Why this matters financially

Higher evac zones (A, 1) often see higher windstorm + flood insurance premiums.

Some carriers refuse to write new homeowners policies in Zone A barrier islands; state-run wind-pool plans (e.g., Citizens FL, NCJUA) become last resort.

Mortgage lenders may require flood insurance even in X-zone properties if also in surge Zone A.

Resale: properties in repeatedly-evacuated zones see 2-8% price discount over decade timelines.

Pre-storm checklist

Know your zone: most state emergency-management sites have a zone lookup. Florida = floridadisaster.org/knowyourzone.

Insurance: most policies require IN-FORCE 30 days before named-storm windowing — NOT a last-minute purchase.

Flood policy: 30-day NFIP waiting period (no exceptions in most cases).

What zipradar shows

FEMA flood zone per ZIP — see /topic/flood-zone/[zip]/.

Hurricane evacuation zones are state-administered + not in our 12-dimension federation. Find via your state's emergency-management website (linked from /methodology/).

Combine: flood zone (FEMA) + evac zone (state) + wildfire risk + radon = the four region-level hazards every coastal buyer should review.