Is a Hurricane Evacuation Zone the Same as a Flood Zone in Brevard County?

No. In Brevard County, a hurricane evacuation zone (A through E) tells you when emergency managers may ask you to leave because of storm surge. A FEMA flood zone (such as AE, VE, or X) rates flood risk for insurance and lending. One address has both, and they often differ, so check each one separately before you buy.

Last updated November 3, 2026.

The letter "A" is where most of the confusion starts. When someone moving to Brevard County hears that a home is "in Zone A," it could mean evacuation Zone A or FEMA flood Zone A, and those are two different maps run by two different agencies for two different purposes. Here is how each one works on the Space Coast, where to look up an address, and what each one does and does not change when you buy a home.

What is a hurricane evacuation zone in Brevard County?

An evacuation zone is a planning area used by Brevard County Emergency Management to call evacuations zone by zone when a hurricane threatens. Brevard uses Zones A, B, C, D, and E, with Zone A the most vulnerable and the first to be ordered out.

According to Brevard County Emergency Management, Zone A includes the barrier islands, Merritt Island, and some low-lying mainland areas. The county explains that the islands are included because storm surge can affect causeway and bridge approaches, and because high-profile emergency vehicles cannot cross bridges once winds pass 40 mph. The county also says people in mobile or manufactured homes, or in low-lying or flood-prone areas, should evacuate whether they live on the mainland or the islands.

The zones are built from storm surge modeling. Brevard notes they are based on National Hurricane Center science and the most recent Statewide Regional Evacuation Study. An evacuation zone has nothing to do with your insurance rate or your mortgage. It is about when to leave.

What is a FEMA flood zone?

A flood zone is a rating on FEMA's Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). It measures the chance of flooding in a given year, and lenders and insurers use it.

FEMA defines the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) as land with a 1 percent chance of flooding in any year, often called the 100-year flood. Those areas carry labels that start with A or V, such as A, AE, AH, AO, and VE. Shaded Zone X (or Zone B) is moderate flood hazard, and unshaded Zone X (or Zone C) is minimal flood hazard, per FEMA's flood zone glossary. You can look up any address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.

How are the two zones different?

They answer different questions. The evacuation zone answers "when might I be told to leave during a hurricane," and the flood zone answers "how is this property rated for flood risk when I insure or finance it."

	Evacuation zone	FEMA flood zone
Who sets it	Brevard County Emergency Management, using state surge studies	FEMA, on the Flood Insurance Rate Map
Labels	A, B, C, D, E	A, AE, AH, AO, VE, X (shaded or unshaded), and others
What it is based on	Hurricane storm surge	Annual chance of flooding from all sources
What it affects	Evacuation orders	Flood insurance rating and lender requirements
Where to look it up	Brevard County or FDEM Know Your Zone map	FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Because the maps are drawn for different reasons, a home can sit in evacuation Zone A and still be in flood Zone X, or sit outside the evacuation zones and still be close to a mapped flood area. On the barrier islands and Merritt Island, the whole island is in evacuation Zone A, while the flood zone can change from one street to the next.

How do I find my evacuation zone in Brevard County?

Type the address into the zone search map on the Brevard County Emergency Management evacuation page, or into the state's Know Your Zone map. Both return the zone letter for that address.

1. Open the Brevard County evacuation planning page and enter the full street address in the map search.
2. Open the map legend to read the zone letter and color.
3. Cross-check on the Florida Division of Emergency Management Know Your Zone tool.
4. Write the zone down with the address, so you know which evacuation orders apply if you buy.

The state notes that not every zone is ordered in every storm. Zone A is usually called first, and the zones further inland are called only for stronger storms. Orders come from local officials, so follow Brevard County's announcements during a storm.

Does my evacuation zone affect my insurance or mortgage?

Not directly. Lenders and flood insurers look at the FEMA flood zone, the elevation of the home, and the home's own features, not the evacuation zone letter.

The FEMA flood zone matters a lot. A home in a Special Flood Hazard Area with a federally backed mortgage will generally need flood insurance. Florida's state insurer also adds its own rule: under Section 627.351(6)(aa), Florida Statutes, Citizens Property Insurance personal residential policies that include wind coverage must also carry flood insurance. That already applies in the Special Flood Hazard Area, and Citizens says it reaches all remaining new and renewing policies with wind coverage starting January 1, 2027, regardless of flood zone or home value. Condo unit-owner policies and policies without wind coverage are excluded. If you might end up with Citizens, plan for a flood policy in your budget even in Zone X.

You can model a monthly payment with insurance included on my mortgage and insurance calculator, then replace the estimates with quotes from a licensed insurance agent for the specific address.

What should I check before making an offer on the Space Coast?

Look up both zones, then ask for the documents that show how the specific house performs. The zone letters are a starting point, not the full picture.

• Seller flood disclosure. Since October 1, 2024, Florida sellers of residential property must give buyers a flood disclosure at or before the contract, under Section 689.302, Florida Statutes. It covers past flood insurance claims, federal flood assistance, and whether the seller knows of flood damage.
• Elevation certificate. If one exists, it shows how the lowest floor compares with the base flood elevation. Ask the seller, and ask a licensed surveyor if you need a new one.
• Insurance quotes early. Get wind, homeowners, and flood quotes during your inspection period, not after.
• Your evacuation plan. If the home is on the islands or Merritt Island, think through where you would go and which causeway you would use.

If you are comparing towns, my Brevard County communities guide and relocation guide cover each area across the county. For waterfront homes specifically, my Merritt Island Waterfront Living site goes deeper on river and canal properties.

What I see with buyers moving to Brevard County

Frequently asked questions

Is evacuation Zone A the same as flood Zone A?

No. Evacuation Zone A is Brevard County's first area to evacuate for hurricane storm surge. FEMA flood Zone A is a Special Flood Hazard Area on the flood insurance map. An address can be in one, both, or neither.

Is all of Merritt Island in an evacuation zone?

Yes. Brevard County Emergency Management includes the barrier islands and Merritt Island in Zone A, because storm surge can cut off causeway and bridge approaches. FEMA flood zones on Merritt Island still vary by property.

Do I need flood insurance in flood Zone X in Brevard County?

A lender usually will not require it in Zone X, but Citizens Property Insurance requires flood coverage on policies with wind coverage under its phase-in, which reaches all remaining new and renewing policies starting January 1, 2027. Many owners outside the high-risk zones buy flood coverage anyway.

Where can I check the flood zone for a Brevard County address?

Use the FEMA Flood Map Service Center at msc.fema.gov and search the address. Ask for an elevation certificate too, since the zone alone does not show how high the house sits.

Do evacuation zones change?

They can. Zones are based on storm surge studies that get updated, so check the county and state maps each hurricane season rather than relying on an old printout.

Sources: Brevard County Emergency Management, Planning for an Evacuation; Florida Division of Emergency Management, Know Your Zone; FEMA, Flood Zones; Citizens Property Insurance, Flood Requirements; Section 689.302, Florida Statutes. General information only, not insurance or legal advice.