Photo Courtesy of OEM
By Forum Staff
Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) and the City Office of Emergency Management on Monday unveiled “new, more effective” evacuation signs for the 23rd Assembly District.
To help account for the city’s denser street grid and crowding along the coasts, there will be signs installed by OEM in a greater number of places, according to Pheffer Amato. Signs will direct evacuees to higher ground, using a zone system of elevation and the tag line “Know Your Zone.” The program is designed to educate New Yorkers about storm dangers in low-lying areas, so as to help residents become familiar with the route to higher ground and understand the need to get there quickly in the event of a storm, the assemblywoman added.
“We saw the worst happen in 2012, and we’re still recovering five years later,” Pheffer Amato said. “I appreciate NYC Emergency Management for their hard work to plan for the next time around, by launching this year-round education program and hopefully changing how we think about preparation and evacuation. I encourage everyone to ‘Know Your Zone’ and to take advantage of NYC Emergency Management’s other great resources, so that you and your family are as secure as possible during hurricane season.”
According to Pheffer Amato and OEM, the new signs replace the model used in the less-trafficked American south, which guide all motorists to centers along a limited number of specific routes.
