devastation that has taken place in Texas and
Florida, as well as many Caribbean communities,
the Town of Ocean City is once again reminding
property owners to Be Informed, Make a Plan
and Build A Kit for emergency situations. Two
keys to weather safety are to prepare for the risks
and to act on those preparations when alerted by
Be Informed: The first step to being informed
is to KNOW YOUR ZONE & DIVISION. Know
Emergency eNews Alerts, and where you would
go if you and your family need to evacuate. In
addition, it is also important to assess your risks
and know your home’s vulnerability to storm surge,
flooding and wind. It’s also essential to have a
list of contact information for reference before a
storm occurs, including emergency hotlines and
numbers to State, County and Town of Ocean
City Government. Finally, be sure to follow the
town’s Facebook page & Twitter account, and
listen to Ocean City Emergency Services radio at
receive emergency alerts (by visiting: http://
oceancitymd.gov/enews) and programing
Ocean City’s FM Emergency Advisory Radio Station
Make a Plan: Everyone needs to be prepared for
the unexpected. Your friends and family may not be
together when disaster strikes, so all families are
encouraged to establish a Family Communications
Plan in advance to establish what you will do in
together a plan by discussing four important
questions with your family, friends or household:
How will I receive Emergency eNews Alerts? What
is my Zone & Division? Where is the nearest Shelter?
What is my family communications plan? After
you answer these questions, be sure to consider
specific needs in your houseshold (care of children,
pets, medical & dietary needs). You should also
inquire about emergency plans at places where your
family spends time: work, daycare and school, faith
organizations, sports events and during commuting.
Finally, fill out a Family Emergency Plan & practice
your plan with your family/household.
Note: Ready.gov has made it simple for you to make
a family emergency plan. Download the Family
Communication Plan for Parents and Kids and fill
out the sections before printing it or emailing it to
your family and friends.
Build a Kit: A disaster supplies kit is simply a
collection of basic items your household may need in
the event of an emergency. Try to assemble your kit
well in advance of an emergency. You may have to
evacuate at a moment’s notice and take essentials
with you. You will probably not have time to search
for the supplies you need or shop for them. You may
need to survive on your own after an emergency.
This means having your own food, water and other
the scene after a disaster but they cannot reach
everyone immediately. You could get help in hours
or it might take days. Additionally, basic services
such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment
week, or longer. Your supplies kit should contain
items to help you manage during these outages.
Hurricane Irma Satellite image NASA
Fall NEWSLETTER
Hurricane Season: Prevention & Lessons Learned
Before the Decision: Know Your Zone & Division
In times of an emergency, specifically a hurricane
or natural disaster, the Town of Ocean City wants
residents, property owners and visitors to KNOW
YOUR ZONE & DIVISION where you live and visit!
Your zone and division are determined by two
variables: Property location and vulnerability to
flood inundation.
Is a Flood Inundation Zone the same as an
Evacuation Zone?
No! Flood zones are areas established by the
National Weather Service using historical and
statistical data of flooding and/or tidal surge
potential to Ocean City, which provide residents
and property owners their degree of flood risk.
Emergency Managers use flood inundation, tidal
surge, and winds to determine potential risk to
the various communities throughout the Town,
specifically in a storm or emergency. It is important
for our residents, property owners and visitors to
know which zone and division they reside, incase
an evacuation is required.
What is our community’s evacuation plan?
Should a hurricane (or natural disaster) threaten
the Ocean City area, an evacuation order may be
issued. An evacuation order is a protective action
whereby citizens are moved from a place of danger
to a place of relative safety when a disaster is a
threat to life, and/or the property of our residents
and visitors in Ocean City.
The Town of Ocean City’s Hazard Plan for
Evacuation is developed from data in the US
Army Corps of Engineers Hurricane Evacuation
Study, and additionally, the National Hurricane
Center’s SLOSH (Sea, Lake and Overland Surge
from Hurricanes) Model to further calculate
by storm surge. The study and model focus on
because of the inaccuracies in forecasting the
precise track and other parameters of approaching
hurricanes; to assist our government in making
critical protective and evacuation decisions. This
information is utilized in the decision making process
for evacuation decisions when coastal storm events
are approaching the Ocean City area in conjunction
with information provided by the National Weather
Services and the National Hurricane Center.
Because of life safety concerns and property
damage caused during a disaster or other unusual
occurrence, specific properties, multiple locations or
the entire City may require evacuation. Both actual
damage and potential hazards must be considered.
The lack of sanitary facilities, utilities services, or other
health hazards may also necessitate such actions.
The Town of Ocean City uses the concept of phased
decision points based primarily on the National
Weather Service (NWS) storm classifications
(advisory, watch, warning, etc.). These decision points
will be used as an overall philosophy in hurricane
planning, response, and recovery, and facilitates
the actions necessary to give an evacuation order.
Evacuation phases are built into these classifications.
scale, which categorizes hurricanes based upon
their intensity, and relates this intensity to damage
potential. A significant number of hurricane injuries
can occur from the approaching system and the
strong winds and flooding that will result from the
storm surge.
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View an Interactive Map at:
oceancitymd.gov/knowyourzone