New York City officials reminded residents during a mayoral briefing about hurricane season that the city uses six coastal evacuation zones — with Zone 1 the most vulnerable — and advised New Yorkers to check whether their address is in an evacuation zone at finder.nyc.gov/hurricane and to sign up for emergency alerts via NOTIFYNYC.
# What’s happening
– The city identified six coastal evacuation zones; Zone 1 is most vulnerable to storm surge.
– The Mayor’s Office and emergency agencies issued preparedness guidance and evacuation advice.
– Residents should check their evacuation zone at finder.nyc.gov/hurricane immediately.
# Why it matters
– Residents in coastal and low-lying neighborhoods face higher flood and storm-surge risk.
– Knowing your zone tells you if you must evacuate when the city orders it and where to go.
# Key details
– The city maps six evacuation zones, ranked by vulnerability, with Zone 1 highest.
– City-run evacuation center finder: finder.nyc.gov/hurricane.
– Sign up for emergency alerts: text NOTIFYNYC to 692-692.
– The city may order evacuations when a coastal storm approaches.
– Officials plan to start formal evacuation tracking about 120 hours before major impacts.
The city’s mayoral briefing said New York is mapped into six coastal evacuation zones and described Zone 1 as the areas most vulnerable to flooding from a major storm surge. Source: https://youtu.be/A73fKTE53fQ&t=3
The Mayor’s Office did not list specific neighborhoods or buildings that make up Zone 1 during the briefing. Source: https://youtu.be/A73fKTE53fQ&t=3
The video advised New Yorkers to check whether they live in a coastal evacuation zone and to find their nearest City-run evacuation center at finder.nyc.gov/hurricane. Source: https://youtu.be/A73fKTE53fQ&t=3
The briefing also recommended practical readiness steps: make a plan, pack a go bag with medications and documents, and sign up for emergency alerts by texting NOTIFYNYC to 692-692. Source: https://youtu.be/A73fKTE53fQ&t=3
Fact block: Mayor Seraphin Koinondanis
– Role or jurisdiction: Mayor of New York City.
– Action taken: Led the Aug. 29, 2026 hurricane-season briefing and urged residents to check evacuation zones.
– Relevant dates: Guidance published Aug. 29, 2026. Source: https://youtu.be/A73fKTE53fQ&t=3
If you need to confirm whether a specific address is in Zone 1, use the city’s online evacuation-center finder at finder.nyc.gov/hurricane. The Mayor’s Office directed residents to that site to locate City-run evacuation centers and check zone status. Source: https://youtu.be/A73fKTE53fQ&t=3
Fact block: NOTIFYNYC
– Role or jurisdiction: New York City emergency alert system.
– Action taken: Provides text, email, and voice alerts for emergencies.
– How to enroll: Text NOTIFYNYC to 692-692 (as stated in the Mayor’s Office video). Source: https://youtu.be/A73fKTE53fQ&t=3
In earlier coverage at a City Council hearing on March 13, 2026, officials said roughly 3 million New Yorkers live in evacuation zones and that each zone contains about 500,000 residents. The same hearing said the city tracks storms and would activate evacuation planning about 120 hours (roughly five days) before expected impacts. This information is from earlier City Council testimony and is external to the mayoral briefing. Source (earlier coverage): https://youtu.be/X4d32YQZFhQ&t=11721
The city provides flood-risk mapping tools and public information beyond the evacuation finder. In earlier oversight testimony, agencies pointed residents and local offices to the city flood Hazard mapper and other published hazard maps to view tidal, inland, and coastal flood risk; that material is external to the mayoral briefing. Source (earlier coverage): https://youtu.be/jzaB4iYGq6E&t=1070
Officials in the mayoral briefing said the city may order evacuations for neighborhoods in danger of storm-surge flooding when a coastal storm is approaching. The briefing emphasized that Zone 1 areas would be prioritized because of their higher vulnerability. Source: https://youtu.be/A73fKTE53fQ&t=3
If you live in a building type the briefing called out — for example, high-rises in coastal areas — plan ahead because being caught in a high-rise during coastal flooding presents additional risks like wind, power outages, and isolation. The field report included in the briefing showed a reporter in a Zone 1 high-rise to illustrate those risks. Source: https://youtu.be/A73fKTE53fQ&t=3
Practical next steps the Mayor’s Office recommended during the briefing: confirm your evacuation zone and nearest shelter at finder.nyc.gov/hurricane, prepare a go bag with medicines and documents, and enroll in NOTIFYNYC for official emergency alerts. Source: https://youtu.be/A73fKTE53fQ&t=3
If you still need a street-by-street list or a downloadable map of Zone 1 neighborhoods and buildings, the briefing did not provide one; use the city evacuation finder and the city’s hazard mapping tools, or contact your local elected office or NYC Emergency Management for address-level confirmation. Source: https://youtu.be/A73fKTE53fQ&t=3 and (earlier coverage) https://youtu.be/jzaB4iYGq6E&t=1070
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