Prepping in Tampa
Tampa Bay's shape makes it one of the most surge-prone places in the country. Helene and Milton in 2024 showed how fast that risk becomes real.
- Storm surge
- Hurricanes
- Flooding
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The official Tampa alert and lookup tools. Each takes a few minutes and works even if you do nothing else on this page.
- HCFL AlertSign up for HCFL Alert
Hillsborough County's official alerts. Add your address and choose how you want to get them.
- Evacuation Zone LookupLook up your zone
Hillsborough has five zones, A to E. The county expanded its zones for the 2026 season, so check again even if you looked before.
Links checked October 2026. Wireless Emergency Alerts reach most phones automatically; these add local detail.
What can go wrong in Tampa
- Storm surge
- Tampa Bay is shallow and funnel-shaped, which piles surge water into coastal neighborhoods.
- Back-to-back storms
- In 2024, Helene's surge flooded coastal areas, and Milton followed two weeks later with wind, tornadoes and widespread outages.
- Rain flooding
- Heavy rain floods streets and low areas well away from the coast.
- Heat after the storm
- Outages in late-summer heat are hard on older adults and anyone with health conditions.
What that means for your plan
Look up your zone every year. If you're in an ordered zone, leave early. Bridges across the bay can close in high winds, and traffic builds fast.
If you live in a mobile or manufactured home, plan to evacuate for any hurricane, whatever your zone.
If you're staying, plan for at least a week without power: water, no-cook food, a power station for phones and fans, and a generator only outdoors.
Do these first, in this order
- Know your zone and route
Zones changed for 2026. Pick your destination now.
- Waterproof document kit
IDs, insurance, a video of every room.
Go-bags and evacuation guide - Two weeks of water
Plus a bathtub bladder before landfall.
Water storage and filters guide - Power station or generator
Fans and phones. Generator outdoors only.
Power stations and generators guide - NOAA weather radio
Works when cell networks don't.
Radios and communication guide - A week of no-cook food
Shelves empty days before landfall.
Emergency food and cooking guide
Questions
How do I find my evacuation zone in Hillsborough County?
Use the county's Evacuation Zone Lookup on hcfl.gov and type in your address. Zones run A to E, and they were expanded for the 2026 season.
Do I have to evacuate a mobile home in Tampa?
Hillsborough County advises people in mobile and manufactured homes to evacuate for any hurricane, whatever their zone.
How ready is your Tampa home?
The quiz weights every item for hurricane coast risks and shows your top gaps. About 3 minutes, no sign-up.