What is storm surge?
Storm surge is simply water that is pushed towards the shore by the force of the winds swirling around a storm. This advancing surge combines with normal tides, which can increase the water height as the storm approaches shore. This rise in water level can cause severe flooding in coastal areas.

The greatest potential for loss of life related to a hurricane is from the storm surge, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Many buildings withstand hurricane force winds until their foundations, undermined by erosion from water, are weakened and fail.  (Source:  Federal Emergency Management Agency website)

How do I know if I am in an area vulnerable to storm surge?
Find out if you are in an evacuation zone. All five of the County’s evacuation zones are vulnerable to storm surge.  Storm surge is the primary reason why evacuation zones are identified and residents are told to evacuate those areas, before an approaching storm.  As you move further inland within the evacuation zones, the effect of storm surge will generally be less, but it can still affect the area. 

Keep in mind though, evacuation zones and areas that are vulnerable to storm surge continue three miles inland in some parts of Hillsborough County, especially near rivers and canals.

You can find your evacuation zone and the potential storm surge height for your evacuation zone by looking at an evacuation zone map online or in the official Hillsborough County Hurricane Guide available at various locations throughout the County.  You also can find your evacuation zone by visiting the "The Hurricane Evacuation Assessment Tool (HEAT)".  This will take you to an online tool that will tell you your evacuation zone, nearby shelters and other emergency services, based on your address.

What do the storm surge signs mean?
The signs visually show how high storm surge water could be in major hurricane.  In the areas where the signs are posted, storm surge could rise an average of 13-18 feet above the ground, which is how high the signs are above the ground.  This is high enough to cover an average one-story building.

Keep in mind though that not all hurricanes cause the same amount of storm surge every time, so the level of storm surge could be higher or lower than these signs. Storm surge can be affected by various factors, such as tides and the direction that the hurricane is coming from.

How do you define “Major Hurricane” on this sign?
This refers to a Category 3 hurricane or higher.

How did the County decide to put the signs where they are?
The County put the signs in areas of the unincorporated Hillsborough County that were identified as having the highest storm surge risk.  Other factors affect their exact locations, such as visibility of locations, rules not allowing county signs on state-owned roads, and conflicts with utilities underground.  The County also placed nine of the signs in County parks that were vulnerable to storm surge.

Are the areas where the signs are located the only places that coastal storm surge is a danger?
No, every part of the County that is in an evacuation zone, from zone A to zone E, is susceptible to storm surge.  If you are in an evacuation zone, even if you are not near a sign or the water, you should learn more about storm surge, and what you should do in the event of an evacuation.

Where are the signs located?
There are 30 signs in the unincorporated County.  They are located in the northwest part of the County from Odessa to Town ‘N Country and the southwest part of the County from Progress Village to Ruskin. The signs are not placed within the City of Tampa limits. See the Storm Surge Sign Location Map.

Why did the County put up these signs?
To help protect residents’ lives and their property by educating them about dangers associated with hurricanes.  Not everyone realizes how dangerous storm surge is.  The County wants residents to know what their evacuation zone is, have a plan on what they will do if an evacuation is declared for their zone, and be prepared to evacuate when requested by emergency management officials. 

The phrase to remember is: “Run from the water, hide from the wind.” In other words, if you are inside an evacuation zone that has been told to evacuate, you need to leave and should not shelter in place, because of the danger of the incoming storm surge. But if you are not in any of the affected evacuation zones, you can shelter in place in a safe structure, because the wind is the only major danger.

What about flood zones, are they different than evacuation zones?
Yes, evacuation zones are areas that can be affected by water being pushed onshore by an incoming hurricane, also called storm surge. 

High-risk flood zones are areas that can be flooded from pooling water and stormwater run-off, in addition to flooding caused by storm surge.  In some parts of the county, the evacuation zones and high-risk flood zones are similar, and in other parts of the county, they are different.

Floods are the most common natural disaster in Hillsborough County (and the United States for that matter).  Flooding can occur all throughout the county because of low areas, nearby bodies of water such as lakes or rivers, and the way water runs off the land. Flood risks vary from property to property, even in the same neighborhood.

To learn more about flood zones and see if your property is in a flood zone, visit the Hillsborough County Flood Maps web page.

How did the County come up with the idea for these signs and pay for them?
The County paid for these signs with a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which was intended to fund emergency preparedness public education projects. 

The concept, placement and implementation of this project was a joint effort among the County's Emergency Management Department, the Hazard Mitigation Section of the Planning & Growth Management Department, other County government agencies, and the Local Mitigation Strategy Working Group, which is a community-wide committee established to reduce the community’s hazard vulnerability.

Are there similar projects in other communities?
Storm surge awareness signs or markers can be found in some other communities, such as in the panhandle section of Florida and in other states, such as Louisiana.  They are usually made of large posts in or near the water, which are marked to show the height of surge from various hurricanes that affected the areas.

Hillsborough County’s project, however, is the largest storm surge sign project of its kind in Florida.

Where can I find out more information about these signs and storm surge?
Online resources:

• The County's "Emergency Information" web site to see if you are in an evacuation zone, learn about how to create a disaster preparedness plan for your family and your business, what to do if an evacuation is called for the area you live or work in, identify shelters in your area, and other emergency-related information.
• The Federal Alliance for Safe Home's website at: www.flash.org, where you can learn more about how to protect yourself against a variety of disasters.
• FEMA's citizen website at www.ready.gov, helps residents create a step-by-step disaster preparedness plan for their families and their businesses.

Phone numbers to call:

• for questions about emergency preparedness in Hillsborough County, call the Hillsborough Information Line at (813) 272-6900.
• for additional information on the storm surge sign project, the County's hazard mitigation efforts or the Local Mitigation Strategy, call Linda Mandell, County's Hazard Mitigation section, at (813) 276-8245.
• for additional information on flood maps and high-risk flood zones in unincorporated Hillsborough County, call Andrea Iverson, Hazard Mitigation section, at (813) 307-4441.