Twenty coastal counties have established predetermined evacuation zones to simplify the coastal evacuation process in the event of an emergency. Everyone living or vacationing in North Carolina's coastal areas should Know Your Zone.
North Carolinians should visit knowyourzone.nc.gov and learn their zone by entering their address into the interactive map. Knowing your zone can put you and your family in the best possible position to deal with severe weather.
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Local officials will determine which zones should be evacuated. Areas in Zone A will typically be evacuated first, followed by areas in Zone B, etc. While all zones won’t be evacuated in every event, residents and visitors should look and listen for their county name and zone when evacuations are ordered. You can follow local media (such as WRAL, MIX 101.5 FM and WILM-TV), for reports on when state and local officials order residents to leave. Evacuation orders will also be posted on readync.gov.
An evacuation will be ordered for when people's lives are at risk. If an evacuation is ordered for your area, you're asked to gather your belongings and leave for your personal safety.
Which areas have evacuation zones?
There are 21 counties along the Outer Banks and the coastal plain in North Carolina that have evacuation zones.
- Beaufort
- Brunswick
- Camden
- Carteret
- Chowan
- Craven
- Currituck
- Dare
- Duplin
- Hyde
- Jones
- Lenoir
- New Hanover
- Onslow
- Pamlico
- Pasquotank
- Pender
- Perquimans
- Pitt
- Tyrrell
- Washington
If you do not live in any of these counties, it's not expected that you would be asked to evacuate because of hazardous storm conditions. However, you should still prepare to protect your family from risks and pay attention to local media for announcements.
North Carolina Hurricane Guides are available online.