Hurricane Evacuation Plans Change For 1M NYers

NEW YORK CITY — Hurricane evacuation plans have changed for 1 million New York City dwellers as the city prepares for a season of potentially devastating storms.

New York City's Emergency Management updated the city's six hurricane evacuation zones based on new data about flood- and storm-prone areas, officials said.

The update announced Tuesday coincided with the official start of hurricane season, which runs until Nov. 30.

All told, the changes to the zones mean 1 million city dwellers now live in a different evacuation zone.

“Changes to the hurricane evacuation zones will help New York City be better prepared this hurricane season," John Scrivani, the city's emergency management commissioner, said in a statement.

This Atlantic hurricane season likely will yield above-normal storm activity, experts with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center warned.

Between 13 and 20 named storms likely will arise this year, experts predict.

Of those storms, between six and 10 will develop into hurricanes. And, of those, three to five will turn into major hurricanes, according to NOAA.

The expected storm season, while active, still will fall below the historic levels in 2020.

New York City escaped a direct hit by a full-fledged hurricane last year, but still suffered a destructive blow from Tropical Storm Isaias. The storm knocked over thousands of trees and caused week-long power outages over much the city.

The city's Emergency Management on Tuesday relaunched its Know Your Zone hurricane awareness campaign. The project encourages New Yorkers to find out whether they live in an evacuation zone.

They can visit NYC.gov/knowyourzone or call 311 to find their zone, and discover tips about storm preparedness.