Knowing your evacuation zone before a storm is on the way makes every later decision easier. This guide covers how a Winter Haven resident can look up their zone, where official evacuation orders are announced, and which county tools help you stay informed. More preparation resources are on the prepare page.
Find your zone
The state's Know Your Zone map, run by the Florida Division of Emergency Management, shows whether an address falls in an evacuation zone. The process is direct: type in your address and the map shows the result.
It is worth checking more than one address if your life spans several places. Your home, a relative's home and a workplace may each have a different answer. Write the results down somewhere you can find them without internet access.
Where evacuation orders come from
Evacuation orders come from local officials. The state's guidance is to listen to evacuation orders from local officials and to monitor local news and alerts from authorities. That means the zone map tells you where you are, but it does not by itself tell you to leave. The order is what counts, and it will be announced by local authorities.
Polk County and mandatory evacuation
The county's hurricane preparedness page states that Polk County does not have a mandatory evacuation policy. Read that carefully. It describes the county's policy, and it does not mean that conditions are always safe or that officials will never give guidance. Residents should still follow instructions from local officials and keep watching official channels.
Ways to receive official alerts
Because orders and guidance come from local officials, the most useful habit is to set up several ways of hearing from them.
Alert Polk
Residents can register for Alert Polk to get local alerts via email, phone and/or text messages. Registering ahead of time means the alerts reach you without any effort during a storm. If your contact details change, update your registration.
NOAA Weather Radio
The county lists the NOAA Weather Radio frequencies for Polk as 162.500 and 162.550 MHz. A weather radio is useful because it does not depend on an internet connection. Keep it with your other supplies.
Local news
The state guidance also points residents to local news. Use it alongside the alerts above, not instead of them.
Shelters
Shelters open only as needed. The county's find a shelter page says: please do not proceed to any shelter until you have confirmed that it is open and operating. Do not assume a building is open because it has served as a shelter before. Confirm first through the county's official information, then go.
A simple plan
- Type your home address into the Know Your Zone map and note your result.
- Register for Alert Polk with email, phone and/or text.
- Find a NOAA Weather Radio and tune it to 162.500 or 162.550 MHz.
- Decide how you will follow local news and alerts from authorities.
- If you might need a shelter, plan to confirm that it is open and operating before you travel.
Revisit the plan at the start of each hurricane season, and again if you move or if someone in your household has new needs.
Who to contact
- Florida Division of Emergency Management: use the Know Your Zone map to check an address.
- Polk County Government: register for Alert Polk and review the hurricane preparedness page.
- Shelter status: confirm through the county's find a shelter page before going anywhere.
Sources
Compiled from the official sources below.