{"id":12078,"date":"2018-06-14T13:45:30","date_gmt":"2018-06-14T17:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mema\/?p=12078"},"modified":"2018-06-14T10:20:33","modified_gmt":"2018-06-14T14:20:33","slug":"maryland-launches-know-your-zone-hurricane-preparedness-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mdem\/2018\/06\/14\/maryland-launches-know-your-zone-hurricane-preparedness-campaign\/","title":{"rendered":"Maryland Launches \u201cKnow Your Zone\u201d Hurricane Preparedness Campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"

Program Designed to Ease Evacuation in Areas Subject to Tidal Floods, Surge<\/em><\/p>\n

REISTERSTOWN, Md. (June 14, 2018)<\/strong> \u2014 With the record-setting 2017 hurricane season still fresh in most American\u2019s minds, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), in conjunction with local emergency managers, is rolling out a new hurricane and severe weather evacuation system as a result of the Maryland hurricane evacuation study which concluded earlier this year.\u00a0 The study identified 3 large areas in Maryland subject to tidal flooding. Know Your Zone<\/em><\/strong><\/a> aims to bring awareness of the evacuation zones to the forefront of Marylanders\u2019 summer plans and make evacuation notices easier to disseminate.<\/p>\n

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently released its forecast for the upcoming season and predicted near- to above-normal activity.\u00a0 However, it only takes one storm hitting the mid-Atlantic area to seriously affect Maryland.<\/p>\n

“As experts are forecasting an active Hurricane season this year, I strongly encourage all Marylanders to be proactive, prepared, and to Know Your Zone<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d said Governor Hogan. \u201cWe are all too familiar with the devastating impacts of severe weather and flooding, so remain vigilant, spread the word to your friends, family, neighbors and let them know about the importance of this potentially life-saving initiative.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Residents of and visitors to Maryland are encouraged to visit the new interactive Know Your Zone<\/em><\/strong> web page, www.KnowYourZoneMd.com<\/a>, where they can learn more about the project. On that page, you can type in an address and quickly find out what zone, if any, the property is located in.<\/p>\n

The first year of the program will encourage Maryland residents to know the evacuation zone of their residence, business or vacation site. The zones are designated by letters A<\/strong>, B<\/strong> and C<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Zone A<\/strong> areas are the most likely to be impacted by severe flooding in the event of a major storm or hurricane. In future years, the program will focus on refining evacuation routes away from the affected areas. \u201cProper and timely messaging for evacuations saves lives,\u201d said MEMA Executive Director Russ Strickland. \u201cThis new system is designed to make it easier for local emergency managers to evacuate areas by encouraging Marylanders to Know Your Zone <\/em><\/strong>before a storm hits.\u201d<\/p>\n

The three evacuation zones only affect areas subject to tidal flooding or storm surge \u2013 communities at or near the Atlantic Ocean, the Coastal Bays, and the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. That covers 16 Maryland counties along with Annapolis, Baltimore City and Ocean City.<\/p>\n

\u201cHurricane Sandy in 2012 was a wake-up call for the mid-Atlantic region; it could have been Maryland,\u201d said Strickland. “Working with local and federal partners, and using technology that until recently was not available, we studied updated flooding and surge patterns caused by more powerful storms to develop these new evacuation plans.\u201d<\/p>\n

If local officials feel an evacuation is needed to protect lives, they will issue the order by zones instead of having to define specific geographic areas. This program is similar to one rolled out last year in neighboring Virginia.<\/p>\n

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November. Hurricanes<\/a> can cause strong winds, heavy rain, inland flooding and other severe weather, but residents in Maryland can be prepared by ensuring they know how to receive a warning, have a plan, practice safety tips and know their evacuation zone.<\/p>\n

It is important to remember Maryland can see hurricanes and impacts from a storm hundreds of miles away. Hurricanes can produce 150-plus miles per hour winds<\/span>, tornadoes and tremendous flooding from both tidal surges as well as torrential rain<\/p>\n

Residents can also take the following actions to remain safe:<\/p>\n