Prepping in Jacksonville
Hurricane Irma never made landfall here, yet in 2017 it pushed the St. Johns River to record flooding downtown. Know your evacuation zone before a storm is named.
- Hurricanes
- Storm surge and river flooding
- Heat
Sign up today
The official Jacksonville alert and lookup tools. Each takes a few minutes and works even if you do nothing else on this page.
- AlertJaxSign up for AlertJax
Duval County Emergency Management's free alert system for calls, texts and emails about pending emergencies. Register your home address.
- Know your evacuation zoneFind your evacuation zone
Duval County's evacuation zones run from A to F. Zone A is the most vulnerable and is evacuated first. Look up your zone by address.
Links checked October 2026. Wireless Emergency Alerts reach most phones automatically; these add local detail.
What can go wrong in Jacksonville
- Hurricanes
- Wind, rain and tornadoes from storms passing nearby can cause long outages even without a direct hit.
- Storm surge and river flooding
- Surge pushes up the St. Johns River into neighborhoods far from the beach. Irma set record flood levels downtown in 2017.
- Heavy rain flooding
- Tropical downpours overwhelm drainage in low areas.
- Extreme heat
- Hot, humid summers make outages dangerous, especially right after storms.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical systems and spring storms spin up quick tornadoes.
What that means for your plan
Know your zone now. Riverfront and creek-side neighborhoods can be in surge zones even miles from the ocean.
Plan for a long outage after any storm: two weeks of water, no-cook food, a power station and a way to stay cool.
If you'll evacuate, decide where now: a friend or hotel inland, and a go-bag ready to grab.
Do these first, in this order
- AlertJax and a NOAA weather radio
Evacuation orders and tornado warnings, even without cell service.
Radios and communication guide - Two weeks of water
Water systems can be disrupted after storms.
Water storage and filters guide - Power station
Fans, phones and medical devices through long outages.
Power stations and generators guide - Go-bag
For zone evacuations.
Go-bags and evacuation guide - Battery CO alarm
Generator deaths spike after hurricanes.
Power stations and generators guide - First-aid kit
Storm cleanup injuries.
First aid and medical guide
Questions
How do I find my evacuation zone in Jacksonville?
Use the City of Jacksonville's evacuation zone lookup and enter your address. Zones run from A to F, with A evacuated first.
How do I get emergency alerts in Jacksonville?
Register for AlertJax, Duval County's free emergency notification system, and keep Wireless Emergency Alerts turned on.
How ready is your Jacksonville home?
The quiz weights every item for hurricane coast risks and shows your top gaps. About 3 minutes, no sign-up.