What Are Evacuation Zones

San Luis Obispo County public safety agencies have worked together to divide the county into pre-established evacuation zones. These evacuation zones will assist first responders in more quickly determining evacuation areas during an emergency. These new zones will also allow the public to easily identify if they are in an area under an Evacuation Warning or Evacuation Order. These zones are intended for emergencies that require large-scale evacuations.

Wildfire burning in hills behind a town

Evacuation Zones vs. Protective Action Zones

These new evacuation zones are different than the Protective Action Zones (PAZ) established for emergencies at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant.  The 12 Protective Action Zones are much larger in size and are specifically designed for an emergency at Diablo Canyon when evacuation or shelter in place may be directed. The PAZs are still in place and would be used during a nuclear power plant emergency.  These new evacuation zones would be used during other evacuations. 

Know Your Evacuation Zone

To save time during an emergency, it is important for residents to know your evacuation zone in advance. Enter your address into the map tool below. The tool will tell you your zone name. It is important to write down the zone name and post it in a location easily accessible in an emergency.

Each zone has a description of the zone with the name, borders, current status, and additional information.  Additional information may also be provided. 

If an Evacuation Order or Warning is ordered, emergency officials will utilize alert and notification methods such as Wireless Emergency Alerts and Reverse 911 to notify residents which zones are affected. Knowing your evacuation zone will allow you to respond more quickly. 

How to find your zone:

  1. If this is your first time on the page, you will be prompted by a Welcome pop up. The pop up with ask you to pick one of two options: Share location or Not now.
  2. If you select Share location it will automatically take you to your zone. NOTE: If you have disabled location settings in your browser you will need to either enable settings or click "Got it" on the enable browser and manually enter your address.
  3. If you select Not now, type your address into the the "Search an address" bar at the top.
  4. Your zone will be listed at the top above your address (example: Zone SLO-E009). Record this information somewhere you can access easily. 
  5. Scroll down to see the map that outlines your zone.
  6. Other questions? See the Frequently Asked Questions at the bottom of this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Why doesn't my zone show the best way to evacuate during an emergency? 

Evacuation routes are always incident-specific because the best route to take is always relative to the location and type of threat. When an emergency evacuation takes place, law enforcement will direct traffic. 

If emergency officials activate a zone for an Evacuation Order or Warning, anyone using Waze who's getting directions in that area will be given paths that no longer cross through it. 
Why doesn't my zone list where I should evacuate to during an emergency? 

Information regarding where to go during an evacuation is dependent on the emergency itself. If a zone is activated for an evacuation order, warning, or other protective action that information may be available on this map but would be provided to the public in many ways including alert and notification systems, social media, the media and on ReadySLO.org.
Do I have to remember my zone number to know if I need to evacuate? 
While it is helpful to know the name of your zone, it is not necessary.  Emergency officials will always include the boundaries of an impacted area when sending out alerts. 
 Why won't the evacuation map show up for me? 
If it is your first time visiting the site, you will need to select if you want to share your location before you can see the map.  Select either to share your location or not by clicking on your choice.  
Should I download the app mentioned on the map site? 
The genasys Protect app provides the ability to receive updates on zone status through the app regardless of your location. The app is associated with the hosting vendor and not San Luis Obispo.  
Did my fire agency participate in the creation of these zones? 
Yes, all fire agencies in the county helped build the zones for their area.