Evacuation Destinations
If a chemical accident occurs at the Anniston Army Depot, be assured the Gadsden/Etowah County Emergency Management Agency (EMA), in partnership with the Alabama EMA, the United States Army, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is ready to educate and inform you, to alert you and respond 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But you need to do your part. Know your zones for home, work and school. Be prepared to follow protective action instructions from the Gadsden/Etowah County EMAoffice. If a chemical accident occurs at the Anniston Army Depot, your local EMAwill give you instructions based on the zone you are in. You may be asked to shelter in place, evacuate, simply avoid travel, or you may be given other important instructions. Monitor your Emergency Alert System stations for further emergency instructions.
How to use this map
- On the map of Etowah County, find your locations for home, work and school. Make note of the ZONE in which you are located. (The ZONES are defined by areas listed below. For example: if you live in the city of Southside, your ZONE is D-8).
- If an evacuation is ordered for any ZONE, the directions below indicate the best evacuation destination for each ZONE.
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IRZ - Immediate Response Zone: The Emergency Planning Zone which is closest to the Anniston Army Depot and which has the greatest risk for the public. This zone encompasses an area requiring a less than one-hour response time when affected by a chemical release. It extends approximately 9 miles, the average distance a chemical vapor could travel in one hour under typical weather conditions.
No part of the IRZ is located in Etowah County. | |
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PAZ - Protective Action Zone: The Protective Action Zone is an area of lesser risk that extends beyond the IRZ to approximately 20 to 30 miles. This Emergency Planning Zone may require public protective actions, but more time is available for response. | |
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PZ - Precautionary Zone: The Precautionary Zone is the outermost Emergency Protective Zone and extends beyond the PAZ to a distance where protective actions would not be required. The PZ does not require additional effort beyond normal emergency management preparedness. This area has a minimal risk factor, and adequate time exists to warn the public and take protective actions prior to arrival of airborne chemical agents. | |
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Outside of Risk Area: The distance from the Anniston Army Depot is such that these areas of Northern Etowah County would not be affected by airborne chemical agents in the unlikely event of a chemical accident at the Anniston Army Depot. | |
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If you are in one of the following zones, your primary evacuation destination is Huntsville, and your secondary destination is Birmingham.
If you are in one of the following zones, your primary evacuation destination is Birmingham, and your secondary destination is Huntsville.
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