Evacuation zone maps are based on ground elevation and the area’s vulnerability to storm surge. These maps are used for hurricane preparedness and planning.Įvacuation may be necessary due to the risk of storm surge from tropical storms or hurricanes.

Storm surge maps display where flooding will occur when an abnormal rise of water generated by a storm is pushed toward the shore by strong winds. NOTE: Federal requirements for flood insurance are only based on the FEMA FIRM, not the Pinellas County flood maps.įind out what the flood hazard and required development standards are BEFORE you develop your plans. As with the high-risk flood zones on FEMA FIRM maps, these floodplain areas are also considered high-risk areas and are subject to specific development regulations. The FIRM is used to determine building and flood insurance requirements.Ĭounty floodplain maps, developed from detailed watershed and coastal studies, also show areas that have a 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given year. High-risk areas have a 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given year. You should check them all to understand what your flood risk is.įEMA flood zone maps, known as Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), show areas of high and moderate to low flood risk. A home may be located in a non-evacuation zone, yet be located in a high-risk flood zone because of a nearby stream or pond. Flood zones can be low, moderate or high risk.įlood zones, evacuation zones and storm surge are different. They measure different conditions that may not occur at the same time, are determined by different methods and have different purposes. Everyone in Pinellas County is in a flood zone.

What is fema flood zone a