This time of year, coastal residents in southwest Florida often hear the phrase, “Know your Zone.”
But which zone?
In Lee County, evacuation zones are lettered A through E.
Residents living near the coast or the Caloosahatchee river are often in zone A, which is the first zone called for evacuations during hurricane season.
FEMA zones, which also use letters as identifiers, are used for flood insurance purposes.
So, when a letter arrived in one Cape Coral neighborhood letting them know the residents now live in zone X, “there was confusion,” one neighbor told Fox 4.
“People were saying we were moved out of zone A and into zone X,” said the neighbor.
That may be true when it comes to flood insurance, but not with evacuation zones.
That part of Lee County remains in evacuation zone A.
Florida’s Director of Emergency Management urges residents to know the difference between the two.
“That is your evacuation zone. That is not your flood zone. Your FEMA flood zone is a completely different set of letters. So, don’t get confused between the two. Make sure you know where your evacuation zone is,” Director Kevin Guthrie said.
There are many resources from the state, and local counties to find your evacuation zone.
