HAMPTON ROADS – Do you know what Hurricane Evacuation Zone you are in?
It’s time to look that up because Gov. Ralph Northam has ordered mandatory evacuations for many areas.
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management offers an interactive map that allows you to enter your address and to see exactly what zone you are in.
Click here to access that map, it may take a minute or two to load.
Gov. Northam issued mandatory evacuations for Zone A, the lowest-lying areas of Coastal Virginia and the Eastern Shore, on Monday in anticipation of Hurricane Florence.
The orders went into effect 8 a.m. Tuesday.
Since Gov. Northam’s order, many people have contacted News 3 wondering what it means for them.
Local officials say the order means you should leave, but you don’t have to go far.
“It doesn’t mean that you have to completely pack your car up and drive to Kentucky,” said Erin Sutton, the Emergency Manger in Virginia Beach. “It means that you need to get out of Zone A. If you have friends or family in B and C, go stay with them.”
In addition, local cities are opening shelters for people to stay. People can also travel north to get away from the storm or book a hotel in higher ground. Still, Sutton says not everyone will listen.
“We understand that there are going to be some folks who are not going to evacuate,” Sutton said. “They need to understand that will be a challenge for public safety to access them once the rains and winds start.”
Sutton says if you need help getting to a shelter call 311.
Click here to track Hurricane Florence
Evacuation zones (Photo from Virginia Department of Emergency Management)
