This blog previously mentioned about New York City's plan to expand their evacuation options for Manhattan-based residents after the devastating storm that occurred last October. Last month, NYC officials released an evacuation map added 600,000 citizens, according to the Huffington Post.
Locals are no longer represented under Zones A, B and C, but are now listed from Zone 1 through Zone 6, representing each of the boroughs. Under this new system, businesses and families are able to seek refuge at pre-determined centers, according to the NYC Office of Emergency Management.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg plans on spending $20 billion toward a new continuity of operations plan that will ensure the safety of New Yorkers.
"If we do nothing, more than 40 miles of our waterfront could see flooding on a regular basis," Bloomberg told the New York Daily News.
Miami takes similar actions
Miami, Florida also has an updated evacuation map, that will now account for 1.9 million people, according to USA Today.
"We used to have three zones, with 600,000 people; now we have five zones," Miami-Date County emergency management director Curtis Sommerhoff told the source. "People now understand that evacuation orders are focused on storm surge."
Having these programs in place allows families and business owners to gather the necessary tools to get through the upcoming hurricane season.
Other cities like Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana have plans to follow the examples of Miami and NYC. These coastal communities are aware that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted an active hurricane season.
There is a 70 percent chance that there will be 13 to 20 storms with winds over 39 mph churning across the Atlantic Ocean, according to a NOAA statement. These figures are higher than the seasonal average of 12 named storms.
Communities along the Atlantic Ocean can create and develop their own evacuation strategy by contacting business continuity consultants.